FORT PIERCE — Virgin Trains USA has begun its first construction-related work on the Treasure Coast.

The railroad, formerly Brightline, made the announcement late Tuesday on its Instagram page.

"Connecting South Florida to Central Florida is a massive undertaking that involves 225 million pounds of American steel for 170 miles of new track and 490,000 ties," the company wrote. "Can you believe ties are already currently staged for delivery in Fort Pierce?"

Virgin Trains USA's Phase 2 work, which will connect West Palm Beach and Orlando International Airport, already is underway in Orlando.

The entire $4.1 billion Virgin Trains project is to run between Miami and Orlando by late 2022.

A Virgin Trains spokesman Thursday declined to comment on whether staging the materials in Fort Pierce means the railroad eventually will build a station there.

More:Virgin Trains: Expansion to Orlando is underway through Treasure and Space coasts

Virgin has promised to build a stop on the Treasure Coast, but not until five years after the full railroad is completed.

Brian Kornberg, vice president of development for Virgin, last week announced the company's intentions to add a station in Boca Raton.

The higher-speed railroad currently runs between Miami and West Palm Beach, with a stop in Fort Lauderdale.

Virgin last week announced its total ridership had surpassed 1 million, touting it as more than the northeast's Acela train garnered in its first year.

Ridership has flatlined for Virgin: about 239,000 in the fourth quarter of 2018; 244,000 in the first quarter of 2019; and 237,000 in the second quarter of 2019, according to self-reported figures, released earlier this month.

Virgin had projected more than 1 million riders in 2018 and about 2.3 million in 2019, according to figures the company presented to investors when it sought to sell $1.75 billion in tax-free private-activity bonds.

More:Virgin Trains USA celebrates start of construction at Orlando International Airport

While the railroad calls itself a privately financed project, President Patrick Goddard in June described it to USA Today as "a public-private collaboration, for sure."

In April, Stuart officials agreed to a $1,000 a month contract for Virgin to lease space at the city's landfill to store construction materials. The contract extends to April 2023 and could be worth $48,000 for the city.

Fort Pierce's Rocla Concrete Tie is supplying Virgin with 265,000 railroad ties for its Phase 2 project, operations manager Jeff Hope said. The company began the work in June and plans to complete it by early 2021. To meet the deadline, Hope said, Rocla doubled its staff, from 24 to 48 full-time employees, most of whom live on the Treasure Coast.

"It's great to see the future of transportation," Hope said.

Officials in Fort Pierce and Stuart continue to court Virgin to open a station locally. At the same time, Indian River County officials continue to fight the train, believing the project is not yet a done deal.