Historic Rail News & Notes

Brightline, the South Florida-based passenger rail company, will build its next station in Stuart, giving Martin County residents and visitors a convenient travel option for reaching other Florida destinations by train. The Stuart station is expected to open during the second half of 2026. Photo courtesy of Brightline

Brightline's next passenger station will be in Stuart

Brightline, the South Florida-based passenger rail company, will build its next station in Stuart, giving Treasure Coast residents convenient access to the Brightline network and destinations the rail line serves in the state.

Announced March 4, the Stuart station plan was supported by several factors. Brightline said the site, in the heart of historic downtown Stuart, has the location and characteristics that will make it integrate easily into the company's existing rail infrastructure network.

Brightline said the location was chosen after a review of five proposals from private and public land owners along the Brightline/Florida East Coast Railway corridor in Martin and St. Lucie counties. Since September 2023, the company has been offering extended service from West Palm Beach north to Orlando, but the trains don't stop in the communities along the route.

The Stuart station site is 2.35 acres in downtown Stuart in Martin County. Its location is about 40 miles north of Brightline West Palm Beach, or about 40 minutes by train, and the station is easily accessible from I-95, Florida’s Turnpike and other local highways. Arriving travelers will be minutes from Stuart’s beaches, oceanfront resorts, and other points of interest.

CPKC, CSX to link their networks via short line in Alabama

Railroads CPKC and CSX Transportation have mapped their plans to acquire the Meridian & Bigbee Railroad, a short line that would provide an interchange link between the two Class I railroads and create a new rail corridor from the Southeast to Mexico.

The M&B is a unit of the Genesee & Wyoming system. The M&B’s 168-mile network originates west of Montgomery, AL, and extends to Meridian, MS.

CPKC and CSX will need regulatory approval for their plan, and they have filed their proposal with the federal Surface Transportation Board. To achieve the interconnect objective, the two railroads indicated they propose a series of minor transactions.

The railroads have filed for a 210-day procedural schedule with the STB, which means the M&B deal would presumably take effect this May.