Brightline announces Stuart as newest rail station in Florida

Less than six months after opening a major extension of its service to Orlando, Brightline has unveiled plans to build a new station in Florida.

At a news conference Monday, the private intercity rail operator revealed its seventh and newest station will be in the city of Stuart, about 40 miles north of West Palm Beach.

Expected to open by late 2026, it will be the first station located between Brightline's West Palm Beach station and the end of its line at Orlando International Airport (MCO).

Stuart will also be the first new Brightline station since the company opened its 170-mile extension to the Orlando terminals in September. The service provides travelers with a seamless, three-plus hour connection between Central Florida's theme parks and South Florida's beaches aboard sleek, Wi-Fi-enabled trains.

Brightline's plans in Stuart

Monday's announcement comes in the wake of widespread speculation about the new station last week, when Stuart city leaders told TPG the company had reached a verbal agreement to open the station there.

In unveiling plans for the new stop Monday, Brightline leaders cited Stuart's location as a natural fit to integrate into its existing service.

On top of being along the coast near beaches — not to mention key transportation arteries in I-95 and the Florida Turnpike — there was a matter of logistics. Ever since the Orlando extension opened last fall, Brightline trains have rumbled through the region without making any stops.

In October, though, Brightline revealed that would likely change, as it sought proposals for a new station somewhere along Florida's Treasure Coast in Martin or St. Lucie counties.

The company ultimately selected the Stuart location among five proposals, Brightline leaders said Monday.

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The station will be situated in a vibrant downtown corridor, about five miles from the ocean — as well as some beach hotels and resorts like Marriott's Hutchinson Island Beach & Golf Resort.

"There's excitement going on, for sure," Joe Catrambone, president and CEO of the Stuart/Martin Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview with TPG. "It will be a great economic boost, especially for those merchants and restaurants in our downtown."

By train, the new station will be about a 40-minute ride from Brightline's West Palm Beach station, the company said.

An expanding rail line

The new, future stop in Stuart is far from the only expansion Brightline is eyeing.

Its trains make stops in downtown Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach before making the longest (and highest-speed) portion of the journey to Orlando.

Related: Helped by federal funds and private investment, a major push for passenger rail

The company hopes to eventually extend its line to Tampa, on Florida's Gulf Coast. It is also receiving significant federal funding through partnerships with California and Nevada for an entirely new high-speed Brightline West system; it's expected to connect Los Angeles and Las Vegas by the time the 2028 Olympics arrive in Southern California.

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