Melbourne councilmembers have picked three potential Brightline train station locations in the hopes that All Aboard Florida will add a stop on the Space Coast.

During a meeting Tuesday night, Melbourne officials discussed the location recommendations, which they will submit to the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization.

Currently, the company's Brightline passenger rail service, traveling from Orlando International Airport to Miami, will only make stops in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale. But "I would love to see (a train stop) in Melbourne," Mayor Kathy Meehan said. "We have a thriving downtown, we have small businesses that would benefit, and we would be thrilled to have it here."

The three proposed Melbourne locations for a train station are north of C Avenue, the east side of Main Street and the east side of Apollo Boulevard.

Those recommendations, along with potential stations in Cocoa, Rockledge and Palm Bay, will go to the Space Coast TPO, which next month will select a single train station location for Brevard County. That location will be submitted to All Aboard Florida for their consideration.

The company asked the Space Coast TPO to come up with a single location to be studied.

A spot in northern Cocoa is the front-runner because of its proximity to Port Canaveral.

For the most part, Brevard leaders have been supportive of All Aboard Florida’s efforts to resume passenger service along the East Coast. But the company has critics, especially leaders in South Florida counties, concerned about traffic, safety, noise and its finances.

Space Coast leaders remain confident they could boost All Aboard Florida’s ridership numbers with a stop in Brevard County because of Port Canaveral, the Kennedy Space Center and the beaches.

Even if one of Melbourne's train station locations isn't selected, city staff say identifying possible stops will help if more commuter rail lines come to Florida's east coast.


Melbourne officials on Tuesday will discuss 3 possible locations for an All Aboard Florida Brightline train station in Brevard County.