TRANSPORTATION
the fact that some people fear increased noise and vibration.
“Those tracks have been used for 150 years by much heavier
freight trains,” Roberts pointed out. “It’s like comparing a
Ford with an 18-wheeler.”
Holly Theuns lives near tracks in Fort Pierce and doesn’t
see a negative impact from the railroad expansion. “We
already get a half-dozen freight trains every day; these are
lighter and quieter. A station would be a major addition to
Fort Pierce’s livability.”
Daily, including holidays, Brightline/Virgin Trains USA
currently makes 16 northbound trips and 16 southbound
trips. It is the only privately owned, operated, and maintained
88
passenger train system in the United States, using
American-made products whenever possible. Jacksonville
and Tampa routes are in discussion for future expansion.
Why trains? At one time, train travel was the most widely
used mode of transportation. With the advent of affordable
cars, then airplanes, it declined. Today, there is much to be
said for Virgin Trains USA’s “carefree, car-free” travel. Less
time in traffic can mean less stress. Fewer cars on the road
reduces greenhouse gas emissions. A relaxed method of
moving from point A to point B adds hours to the day, better
spent than fuming at long lights, construction delays, or
inconsiderate drivers.
Prior travel on passenger trains didn’t prepare me for the
hospitality-focused Brightline/Virgin Trains USA experience.
Clean, modern, and comfortable, everything about the
trip said “excellence,” and said it with a smile. Main Street
treasurer Dave Miller summed up the group’s response with
an accountant’s precision: “I want it.” Many people in other
cities along the Treasure Coast are saying the same thing.
All seats are comfortable and clean, and some are arranged around tables,
making on board conversations, meals, computer work or meetings convenient,
as Main Street board members Dana McSweeney, Dave Miller,
Michelle Miller and Sue Dannahower, right, discovered.
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