SEBASTIAN — The Sebastian City Council heard an update by Russell Roberts, VP, Corporate Development, Florida East Coast Industries, about the planned passenger line between Miami and Orlando – All Aboard Florida.
The $1.3 billion project would use the already-existing rail corridor, adding a second track, for 32 passenger trains, leaving every hour until 9 p.m. daily, and making the Orlando-Miami trip in about 3 hours, at speeds varying from 79 mph between Miami and West Palm, to 110 mph from West Palm to Cocoa, and 125 mph from Cocoa to Orlando, where a multimodal terminal will be built on airport property already planned for that purpose.
Although the trains will not stop in Sebastian, the five Sebastian area railroad crossings will be updated.
If municipalities with crossings do not want the noise of a train whistle, special “quiet zones” can be established, which would require higher-level safety measures in lieu of the traditional whistle.
The luxury of silence would come with a hefty price, Roberts explained, $100,000 and up for each one – and the municipality would foot the bill.
City Councilwoman Andrea Coy said All Aboard Florida would mean lots more trains passing through town, lots more noise and lots more cost with “no value to our city.”
She told Roberts she’d like to see a meeting between Sebastian and FEC Industries and wondered if there was even a glimmer of a chance of train service in Sebastian.
“We have an old train station site that could accommodate (the new passenger trains) and it would be a wonderful addition to the community,” Coy said.
Roberts explained that the current project could be considered Phase I and, because it will be funded solely through private sources.
Roberts said they are neither seeking nor accepting any “state or federal tax money, it is our risk. If we are successful, we would certainly be interested in service to other cities.”
“Then I’ll be out there sending positive energy to the universe,” Coy said.
She suggested Sebastian start lobbying right away, so the city would get any future area train service, rather than other nearby cities.
“Not everything revolves around Vero Beach,” Coy said. “And we have more people.”
