Florida’s economy runs on infrastructure. Roads, ports, airports: these are the arteries of commerce, and smart business leaders know that a state’s competitiveness is only as strong as its ability to move people, workers, and goods efficiently. That’s why I am championing passenger rail here in Florida. Rail is a tremendous asset that Florida businesses and leaders should prioritize by supporting and investing in its future.
More than one million passengers rode Amtrak through Florida in 2025. One million trips through 18 stations spanning the state, through communities where Florida businesses need workers to show up, customers and tourists to arrive, and talent to take root. It’s a meaningful piece of Florida’s mobility infrastructure, and it deserves the same serious attention from the business community that we extend to port expansions and highway investments.
Passenger rail is fundamentally about connectivity—linking communities, labor markets, and businesses across Florida and beyond. Amtrak doesn’t just move people between stations; it connects Florida’s growing economy to the national network that supports tourism and talent.
The Florida Chamber’s 2030 Blueprint sets a clear target: connect all major population and economic centers to regional, national, and global markets by high-capacity corridors. Our population is growing faster than our infrastructure can keep pace. Our workforce housing challenge is real. Our congestion costs are rising. Every viable mode of transportation that moves people reliably (freeing our roads for commerce and reducing the friction of growth) is a tool for reaching that top 10 global economy we’re building toward.
Rail drives that economy in ways that are easy to quantify. In 2025, Amtrak directed nearly $89 million in procurement to Florida businesses in communities large and small across the state. It employs more than 700 Floridians and paid out over $68 million in wages in-state. It is investing $42.8 million in ADA accessibility upgrades at Florida stations and maintains equipment facilities that sustain skilled trades jobs in communities statewide. That is the kind of place-based economic activity that compounds, and supports local suppliers, anchors employment, and circulates dollars through our communities.
Florida’s tight labor market makes every reliable transportation option a recruitment and retention tool. The Auto Train alone carried 267,000 passengers last year, giving families and retirees a practical, affordable way to relocate to Florida. Nationally, Amtrak ended 2025 with a record 34.5 million trips and $2.7 billion in ticket revenue, both all-time highs proving that demand for passenger rail is a durable shift in how Americans choose to move.
Amtrak President Roger Harris captured the opportunity most clearly, “By prioritizing reliability and the customer experience, we’re laying the foundation for the next generation of passenger rail in America.” That foundation runs through Florida. The business community has both a stake and a voice in making sure it gets built.
Florida has outcompeted every state in the country for talent, investment, and opportunity. Our transportation infrastructure should be no different. Florida’s economy runs on mobility.
Passenger rail strengthens commerce, attracts investment, and gives workers and businesses the connectivity they need to thrive. The choice is clear: invest now in a reliable, modern rail system that supports Florida’s growth—or risk falling behind as congestion and demand outpace our infrastructure. Rail isn’t a luxury; it’s a smart, forward-looking investment in Florida’s future.
T. Michael Hines is a former president and CEO of Challenger Consultants, Inc., a firm that worked with Florida landowners and businesses on eminent domain matters related to major public infrastructure projects. An avid passenger rail champion, he has also served in numerous federal, state, and civic leadership roles spanning more than three decades.
