STUART, Fla. — Days after Brightline's decision to build a train station in Stuart emerged, WPTV got a new glimpse into its ridership numbers.
Ann Louise lives in Stuart but her friend Sylvia lives in Miami Beach.
"We like coming down just to go to a couple of dinners and things," Louise said.
Their friendship could be connected — without the vehicle traffic — when Brightline builds their new station in Stuart.
The train is already making trips from Miami to Orlando, but it will soon have a stop on the Treasure Coast.
Travel
Brightline begins operating 30 trains daily between Miami, Orlando
"We were drawn to the idea because it would enable us to visit them in South Beach," Louise said, "and not have to deal with the traffic going down to Miami."
It's that type of sentiment that Brightline is banking on.
Marcia Roman, a Stuart resident who has a daughter in Orlando, said taking the train would be more convenient.
"She wouldn't have to drive down and drive back," Roman said.
New numbers from Brightline show a steady increase in ridership after the launching service to Orlando in September.
A new report stated that "daily bookings for long-distance ridership have increased every month since opening service."
Brightline said more riders used the train in January to go from South Florida to Orlando (122,703) than those who rode Brightline to take shorter trips within South Florida (113,506).
"The addition of long-distance service has fundamentally transformed our business," Brightline said in a statement. "Repeat bookings from our growing long-distance customer database have increased by approximately 10,000 rides each month."
For some, the added service has been a game changer.
"My daughter, Erica, and her husband ... they rode it last month to Orlando," Stuart resident Linda Erling said. "They said it was wonderful, and they said they'd definitely go again."
Others are not on board, for now, saying the service may not meet their needs.
"I would prefer to drive because once I would get on the train and once I would get off the train in a different location, I would have to get Uber or rent a car," Bernice Giandonato, a Florida Snowbird said.