Tri-Rail Train Service To Downtown Miami Expected To Begin In November

Tri-Rail train service to MiamiCentral in downtown Miami is expected to begin in November 2023, according to Miami Today.

The estimate was made this week by David Dech, the Executive Director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, which operates the train service.

Ticket machines and signage for Tri-Rail are now being installed at MiamiCentral.

In April, Dech told Miami-Dade’s Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust that it had solved a major issue preventing the service from starting.

Previously, Tri-Rail’s trains wouldn’t fit next to the platform at MiamiCentral due to its stairs sticking out and hitting the platform.

Brightline’s platform modifications to allow the trains to enter the station have now been accepted, the report said.

Tri-Rail still needs to complete vast amounts of documentation, obtain Federal Railroad Administration certification of its trains, and complete staff training and certification.

On Monday, Tri-Rail announced it had received federal funding to replace 24 rail vehicles, representing 32-percent of Tri-Rail’s fleet.

The federal funds of $71.7 million will be combined with FDOT, reserve and other federal funds for the $179.2 million car replacement project.

The new cars will begin service in three years, with all fully in place in five years, the Miami Today report said.

 

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Train Bro
6 months ago

We’re going to need it. The Golden Glades reconstruction is going to be a 10 year nightmare. I could see rail really taking off in this time period. I hope so. If our leaders won’t push rail, at least the market will.

Azarius
6 months ago

Im excited to see what the study for CXS lines being used for transit will produce , theres at least 3 strong routes that can come from that study

anonymous
6 months ago

what 3 routes are you thinking of? I know there is one that runs south into Kendall

Azarius
6 months ago

Ludlam Trail (airport to Dadeland) , East West 836, 874 (from Airport via SW 72 Ave to Miami Executive), There are even right aways from 874 and Miami Executive to downtown Homestead/Florida city!

Azarius
6 months ago

I would also like to see a elevated metrorail run along Douglas rd from the new terminal to US1

Douglas link
6 months ago

The name is for a reason, but of course it won’t happen anytime soon even tho besides the expansion north to hard rock stadium and broward it is the most obvious connection besides the beach as wall(but that’s metromover)

Anonymous
6 months ago

Should be Metrorail to the beach before any stadium in suburbia that is only busy a couple times of day a week.

Anonymous
6 months ago

We need Metrorail expansions in the built-up areas ripe for infill like from Miami Airport to Douglas Road stations, hence why Tri-Rail is more appropriate for south county.

Anon
6 months ago

I thought parts of the Ludlam trail were already sold off to private developers and projects are already in the works and even already built on that land near Bird Rd.

‏‏‎ ‎
6 months ago

Unfortunately, Ludlam Trail probably won’t see rail anytime soon. The county is pretty much set on converting it to a trail, and developers are already building apartments on the old FEC right-of-way. In terms of the other two, that is in “talks” with CSX.

Anonymous
6 months ago

Considering Tri-Rail got its start as a temporary service when I-95 was being rebuilt, but made permanent and expanded after ridership increased expectations, hopefully history repeats itself here.

Anon
6 months ago

Only in Miami do you have TWO new billion dollar transit stations built with such basic errors. Idk what’s more embarrassing, this one or the intermodal center Amtrak debacle

Name*
6 months ago

This one because that one is just a matter of closing a minor road, or extending the tracks south into the low level bus loop in the way. This one potentially had the more serious problem of the general elevated structure being underbuilt too weak for freight engines and bilevel coaches. Tho all US passenger trains are built too heavy with extra steel weights to conform to antiquated FRA crash rules.

Anonymous
6 months ago

Why are all the roads in Miami and downtown so unintuitive. Is there a full redesign of the grid, with strategic focused initiatives to tackle one spot at a time?

Anonymous
6 months ago

No, the genius leaders let developers reroute and dis-align the grid a block away for two mediocre “supertowers.”

Anonymous
6 months ago

Amtrak, when you consider it has almost been ten years.

Anonymous
6 months ago

november of 2040

Anonymous
6 months ago

rumor has it that those “errors” were made on purpose by Brightline to avoid competition from Trirail before the Orlando extension opening.

Anonymous
6 months ago

I don’t see why, when Golden Glades, Fort Lauderdale, and Boca Raton’s Tri-Rail stations are miles from Aventura and their respective downtown. Only West Palm Beach’s are blocks from each other.

Lechozo
6 months ago

Originally, Brightline (AAF at the time) was not allowed to operate more than one station per county, and Trirail would receive FDOT funds to pay for the coastal service service (operational expenses and track lease to FEC). Brightline lobbied to remove the one station limitation and to get those funds directly.
The station snafu might have been part of the maneuvers.

anonymous
6 months ago

about damn time. Trirail is the most underutilized transport option in miami. If you look on a map starting from Downtown Miami going north there are so many stops that people could easily park and ride for a much cheaper price than driving (with our without tolls) and having to be stuck in bumper to bumper traffic.

The big problem is getting more people to buy into the train systems. If you work in downtown/brickell area of Miami its a no brainer to take this train if you are within a decent distance of a stop

Anonymous
6 months ago

But thats also the problem. It’s not like a million people are working in downtown and brickell. Many offices are in the gables, Doral, etc. Miami lacks a true epicenter where all trains and transit should run to

anonymous
6 months ago

I agree with you there about places like Doral. They just arent connected enough but there was a prevoius article saying the county is trying to negotiate with CRX to get access to their rail lines not being used. For places like Coral Gables you can always get to downtown and then take metrorail. If you buy an unlimited monthly pass it would still be cheaper than driving everyday (from a money and time perspective)

Anonymous
6 months ago

We should connect Coral Gables and Doral by rail. These communities have big down town areas and offices and so much traffic is caused by the few people who want to keep these areas sectioned off.

Kurt
6 months ago

Yes that is one issue Miami has. A lot of jobs are on the beach too.

Socretes
6 months ago

What you are saying is, “It is an underutilized transit option…because not enough people buy into it.”

My friend’s restaurant is amazing! Except no one ever goes there…they just won’t buy into it.
Solution.
Keep throwing more money into something that people don’t “buy into”. Take money from taxpayers’ pockets, pay for a study that says ridership is low, and then take more money from taxpayers to expand a failure to make it a bigger failure.

Obviously, if it were a “no brainer”, there were be more ridership, and it would not be underutilized.

Anonymous
6 months ago

Timelines on this are like stapling jello to the wall…

Thenextvicecity
6 months ago

Cannot believe this is 7 years behind schedule when most of the infrastructure was already there to begin with.

Thenextvicecity
6 months ago

If I recall correctly they were projecting 2-3k to use the new connection back in plans from like 2016. I’d imagine it’d be more considering all the new job and population growth so silver lining is that it is almost here

Name*
6 months ago

All transit ridership is still way down from the late 00s, mid 2010s, and 2019.

Anonymous
6 months ago

source. metro rail is up

Name*
6 months ago

Up from the Covid rock dead bottom in 2020, 40k daily is barely over half what it used to be in 2014.

Knower
6 months ago

Dont confuse us with the truth.

Socretes
6 months ago

So…..the logical conclusion is…..
Trust the Gov’t even more!!

They really are terrible at transportation, but WE NEED more gov’t run transportation…..OBVIOUSLY.

Azarius
6 months ago

What route are they taking? will it be using the 79th rail line? if so will there be added stops for a commuter route?

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎
6 months ago

From Metrorail Transfer, it’s the FEC Little River Branch eastbound until the mainline, and from there, head south. I haven’t heard about any plans on the Little River Branch, but there are plans on the mainline (Northeast Corridor) to add some commuter rail stations between MiamiCentral and the Aventura station.

Hialeah guy working in Wynwood.
6 months ago

Tri-Rail should create a stop in Wynwood on the way downtown.

Trains
6 months ago

Brightline is doing that instead

Anony
6 months ago

Brightline is not creating a stop in Wynwood.

Anonymous
6 months ago

For real this time?

Anon
6 months ago

Wait….!!!!!!!….we need studies……..

Hello
6 months ago

Meanwhile Amtrak is lost to the federal government in Florida

anonymous
6 months ago

Good thing is that Trirail will be substantially cheaper than brightline. Link below says its $155 for unlimited rides per month. But based on the schedule it could be as cheap as $5 roundtrip a day which is only $100 a month assuming you work 20 days a month.

Parking i believe is free at the stations so this is a great option for people to get around without having to drive and pay the $10 one way tolls

https://fly-mia.com/tri-rail#:~:text=Good%20for%20unlimited%20rides%20across%20all%20Tri-Rail%20and,ages%205-12%2C%20seniors%2C%20and%20people%20with%20disabilities%3A%20%2477.50

Anonymous
6 months ago

They should definitely offer express train service.

Anonymous
6 months ago

I’ll believe it when I see it.

Anonymous
6 months ago

lol, only 7+ years behind the original schedule, service will probably actually begin circa 2038

Melo is sigma and Chad
6 months ago

So what happen to that “the columns can’t support trirail”