MELBOURNE, Fla. — While the Brightline high-speed train passenger service continues to move from Orlando to Miami, there are still no planned stops in Brevard County — but some locals have hopes that could change down the line.

Local transportation leaders continue their push for a rail station on the Space Coast, and local business owners say they are hoping it comes to be one day.

More than two decades ago, Tony Nardone found himself wondering what was next after getting out of the music business. His father had just moved to Melbourne and opened a cigar ship in downtown.

“I didn’t have passion in the beginning," Nardone said. "I wish I could have been in that a little longer, and we got into this and it very quickly became my third child."

That child has blossomed into a cornerstone of the Melbourne Main Street businesses. In fact, Nardone made a big investment and bought the building six years ago. He says his favorite thing is introducing a new cigar to a customer.

“We are here to create the experience somebody else can’t,” he said.

Business is strong, but Nardone believes it could be even stronger.

For example, with his shop just two blocks from the train tracks, what if Brightline made a stop in Melbourne?

“The more activity downtown it’s better for us, the more people, we thrive,” Nardone said.

Although Brightline has not committed to a Space Coast stop, it has bought property in the Cocoa area near the tracks.

Officials with the Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization say their goal is to build a passenger rail station in that area.

They say the effort has been pursued by the TPO with Brightline since 2015.

Part of it is analyzing how to connect to the major regional destinations like the Kennedy Space Center, Port Canaveral, Cocoa Beach Main Street, the Brevard Zoo and the Melbourne-Orlando International Airport.

TPO leaders say they’ve been actively working with community and regional leaders to understand how to create the environment that will enable Brightline to make a commitment to a Brevard stop.

Their station development team began its analysis back in July, and is still in the planning study phase, with a final report due in January 2025.

Nardone said he hopes one day to see train passengers stopping in Melbourne.

“We say yes to Brightline,” he said.

Brightline officials say it’s always been a vision to have a station on the Treasure and Space Coast, but there’s no timeline yet.

They did announce this week a process to select a Treasure Coast station.