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Tri-Rail is a
commuter rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
service linking
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
, Fort Lauderdale and
West Palm Beach West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, Florida, Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lag ...
in Florida, United States. The ''Tri'' prefix in the name refers to the three counties served by the railroad: Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade. Tri-Rail is managed by the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) along
CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of track, it is the lead ...
's former Miami Subdivision; the line is now wholly owned by the Florida DOT. The system has 19 stations along the Southeast Florida coast, and connects directly to
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
at numerous stations, to
Metrorail METRORail is the light rail system in Houston, Texas (United States). In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of . METRORail ranks as the second most-traveled light rail system in the Southern United States and the List ...
at the Metrorail Transfer station, Miami Airport station, and
MiamiCentral MiamiCentral is a train station in Miami, Florida. Located in Downtown Miami, the station provides access to the Brightline inter-city rail service and the Tri-Rail commuter rail service. The station is part of a mixed-use complex, which ...
, and to Brightline at MiamiCentral. In , the line had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of . A second Tri-Rail line on the Florida East Coast Railway corridor, dubbed the "Coastal Link", has been proposed. The line would operate between Toney Penna station in
Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...
and
MiamiCentral MiamiCentral is a train station in Miami, Florida. Located in Downtown Miami, the station provides access to the Brightline inter-city rail service and the Tri-Rail commuter rail service. The station is part of a mixed-use complex, which ...
in
Downtown Miami Downtown Miami is the urban city center of Miami, Florida, United States. The city's greater downtown region consists of the Central Business District, Brickell, the Historic District, Government Center, the Arts & Entertainment District, and ...
, and add commuter rail service between the downtown areas of cities between West Palm Beach and Miami. Combined with the existing Tri-Rail line, this expanded Tri-Rail system is estimated to have a daily passenger ridership of almost 30,000; or approximately 9 million passengers per annum, doubling Tri-Rail's current ridership.


History


1920s: Seaboard-All Florida Railway

The line on which Tri-Rail operates was built by the Seaboard-All Florida Railway (a subsidiary of the
Seaboard Air Line Railroad The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , known colloquially as the Seaboard Railroad during its time, was an American railroad that existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime ri ...
) for
intercity InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the train categories in Europe, classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to InterRegio, regional train, r ...
passenger rail service in the early 1920s. The line was inaugurated on January 7, 1927. Intercity rail service by Seaboard operated the Orange Blossom Special service from
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
until 1953.
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
continues to offer passenger rail service with the '' Floridian'' train from
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
and ''
Silver Meteor The ''Silver Meteor'' is a Long-distance Amtrak routes, long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between New York City and Miami, Florida. Introduced in 1939 as the first diesel-powered streamliner between New York and Florida, it was t ...
'' train from
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. Today, the original 1920s Seaboard stations are used by Tri-Rail for service at
West Palm Beach West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, Florida, Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lag ...
, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood. Though no longer in use, the Seaboard stations at Delray Beach, Opa-locka and Hialeah are still standing.


1980s–1990s: Planning and inauguration

Planning for a new commuter rail line began in 1983, and building the organization began in 1986. The current system was formed by the
Florida Department of Transportation The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the U.S. state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the power ...
and began operation January 9, 1989, to provide temporary commuter rail service while construction crews widened
Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...
and the parallel Florida's Turnpike. Tri-Rail was free from opening until June 1, 1989. Due to higher than expected ridership, FDOT made Tri-Rail a permanent service, adding more trains and stations in the process. The state's original plan was to use the more urban Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) line, but FEC declined the offer as it wanted freight to be their top priority. In 1998, the initial route was extended north from the West Palm Beach station to the , and south from to Miami Airport (at an earlier station on the site of the current station). Construction of the extensions began in 1996; which added nearly to the system.


2000s: New stations, more service

In the early 2000s, Tri-Rail received a budget of $84.8 million for double tracking, building extensions, improving stations, establishing a headquarters, and linking to buses. In 2002, Tri-Rail began to upgrade its grade crossings to include raised medians and/or four quadrant gates to prevent cars from driving around them in an attempt to beat trains. This decreases accidents and allows the cities they run through to petition for them not to use their whistle between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. They also decreased
headway Headway is the distance or duration between vehicles in a transit system. The ''minimum headway'' is the shortest such distance or time achievable by a system without a reduction in the speed of vehicles. The precise definition varies depending on ...
s to 20 minutes during rush hours. In 2007, a project to upgrade the full length of the line from Mangonia Park to Miami Airport with
double track A double-track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single-track railway where trains in both directions share the same track. Overview In the earliest days of railways in the United Kingdom, most li ...
was completed with the opening of a high-level fixed bridge over the New River near Fort Lauderdale. During the 2000s, most of the stations were completely rebuilt to accommodate for double-tracking and include dual platforms, elevators, pedestrian bridges over the tracks, large roofs over the platforms, and better facilities. In March 2006, Tri-Rail went from 30 passenger trains a day to 40 trains; the completion of the New River rail bridge, the double-tracking project, and the addition of a second Colorado Railcar diesel multiple unit (DMU) ushered in sweeping changes to Tri-Rail's operational timetables. Tri-Rail added several more trains during peak weekday commuting hours in June 2007, increasing to the current 50 trains per day, as well as increasing weekend service. During "rush-hour," trains ran every twenty to thirty minutes rather than the previous schedule of every hour. This change comes at quite a fortuitous time in Tri-Rail's operation history. With
gasoline Gasoline ( North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When for ...
prices at record highs—particularly in South Florida's sprawling metropolis—Tri-Rail saw a double-digit percentage increase in ridership in mid-2007. By 2009, annual ridership had reached about 4.2 million passengers. This was also the time during which work was being done on I-95 to add the express lanes from the Golden Glades Interchange to the Airport Expressway near Downtown Miami. In 2007, Veolia Transport commenced operating the Tri-Rail service under a contract that ran until June 2017.


20092022: Growth and airport station

In 2009, Tri-Rail service was nearly cut drastically, with the threat of being shut down altogether by 2011, even as ridership was at a record high, as Palm Beach County withheld its funding of the system and looked to cut its funding from $4.1 million to $1.6 million per year. This would mean that Broward and Miami-Dade counties would also have had to cut their support to $1.6 million each to match. The state, which was also running a budget shortfall and did not pass a rental car tax increase to help fund Tri-Rail, would have had to cut its support as well. This would have caused an immediate cut from 50 to 30 daily trains and a complete cutting weekend service, followed by additional cuts and possible shut down two years later. Schedules were decreased slightly, but service was never cut altogether, as dedicated federal funding was attained through the $2.5 million grant as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009. After a 25% fare increase in mid-2009, annual ridership dropped by 15% (about 600,000) in 2010. However, in 2011, Tri-Rail again saw increasing ridership due to sustained high gas prices, averaging about 14,500 riders per weekday by the end of year. Throughout the year, ridership increased at a rate of about 11% per month, paired with a decline in automobile travel and an increase in employment, with 285 companies and 2,829 individuals joining in the discount program. In 2011, the dilapidated Pompano Beach station received a $5.7 million federal grant, to be redone as a "green station," generating more than 100% of its energy demand through solar power, with the excess to be sent to the grid or stored for nighttime lighting. Construction started in spring 2012 with the station remaining open during construction. The crossing of Race Track Road and the Tri-Rail line near the Pompano Beach station, rough for several years, was also repaired in 2012. In early 2012, it was announced that a second Tri-Rail station in Boca Raton was once again being considered at the busy intersection of Glades Road (S.R. 808) and Military Trail (S.R. 809), near Town Center Mall,
Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. The university is a member of the State University System of Florida and has s ...
and large office parks. A station was proposed for this location in the early 2000s while many other stations were being renovated. Boca Raton station near Yamato Road (S.R. 794) is the busiest station in the system as of 2014, with 1,600 riders a day, surpassing the Tri-Rail and Metrorail transfer station in
Miami-Dade County Miami-Dade County () is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most-populous coun ...
. For this reason, and the fact that Glades Road is considered the most congested road in the county, an
infill station An infill station (sometimes in-fill station) is a train station built on an existing passenger rail, rapid transit, or light rail line to address demand in a location between existing stations. Such stations take advantage of existing train ser ...
there has been long considered. However, in 2019, plans for the station were ultimately canceled by the city and Tri-Rail. Total ridership on the system fully recovered to earlier high levels in fiscal year 2013, to 4.2 million. Tri-Rail wanted to double ridership by 2021 to 30,000 daily riders by building the Coastal Link. In April 2015, the Miami Airport station opened at the
Miami Intermodal Center Miami Intermodal Center (MIC) is an intermodal passenger transport, intermodal rapid transit, commuter rail, local bus, and intercity bus transportation hub in Miami-Dade County, Florida, just outside the Miami city limits near the Grapeland ...
, once again connecting Tri-Rail directly with the
Miami International Airport Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically as Wilcox Field, is the primary international airport serving Miami and its Miami metropolitan area, surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Florida. It hosts over 1, ...
for the first time since the original Miami Airport station closed in 2011. This new station has connections to MIA Mover (providing a direct link to the airport),
Metrorail METRORail is the light rail system in Houston, Texas (United States). In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of . METRORail ranks as the second most-traveled light rail system in the Southern United States and the List ...
, Metrobus and
Greyhound The English Greyhound, or simply the Greyhound, is a dog breed, breed of dog, a sighthound which has been bred for coursing, greyhound racing and hunting. Some are kept as show dogs or pets. Greyhounds are defined as a tall, muscular, smooth-c ...
. After extensive delays,
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
has yet to move its operations from its current station. This new station was under construction since 2009, with a September 2011 closure of the original Miami Airport station to allow for construction of the new station. On January 27, 2017, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority board voted to award Herzog Transit Services a $511 million, 10-year contract to operate Tri-Rail beginning in July 2017. The board disqualified the other five bidders (
Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
, Bombardier, First Transit, SNC-Lavalin Rail & Transit and incumbent operator
Transdev Transdev, formerly Veolia Transdev, is a France-based international private-sector company which operates public transport. It has operations in 17 countries and territories as of November 2020. Transdev was formed on 3 April 2011 via the merg ...
), stating that they had all submitted "conditional" prices despite the request for proposals mandating that the bid price be final. The other five losing bidders all protested the contract, with Transdev, Bombardier, and First Transit jointly requesting a court injunction to prevent it from being awarded.


2023present: Livery redesign and MiamiCentral service

In the first quarter of 2023, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) reported a 25% increase in Tri-Rail ridership, surpassing 350,000 riders for the first time in three years. To meet the demand, the SFRTA began an overhaul process with their Brookville locomotives, which is anticipated to be completed by 2025, and received a federal grant that will allow the replacement of a third of the aging fleet of railcars with new ones, which are expected to start service in the coming years. In addition, the SFRTA created a new livery design, which debuted in time for the Tri-Rail service into
MiamiCentral MiamiCentral is a train station in Miami, Florida. Located in Downtown Miami, the station provides access to the Brightline inter-city rail service and the Tri-Rail commuter rail service. The station is part of a mixed-use complex, which ...
. Tri-Rail service to MiamiCentral (Tri-Rail Downtown Miami Link) began service on January 13, 2024. The station, which is also a
mixed-use Mixed use is a type of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning classification that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions ...
complex, is located in
Downtown Miami Downtown Miami is the urban city center of Miami, Florida, United States. The city's greater downtown region consists of the Central Business District, Brickell, the Historic District, Government Center, the Arts & Entertainment District, and ...
and includes direct access to Brightline as well as Miami-Dade Transit services. The initial service consists of a shuttle service between Metrorail Transfer station and MiamiCentral, but a MiamiCentral Express train has since been added, running from MiamiCentral to West Palm Beach station. To continue traveling north or south, a transfer is required. It marks the first time Tri-Rail trains use Florida East Coast's trackage for service. Tri-Rail trains switch to the FEC's Little River Branch on the Iris Connection south of Metrorail Transfer station and head east to the FEC mainline, where they turn south and head to Downtown Miami. Tri-Rail trains began testing the corridor on June 19, 2023. The total cost of accommodating Tri-Rail trains in MiamiCentral was about $70 million. With the Brightline extension to Orlando, the company has indicated that their trains have reached capacity, especially during peak commute time along the Southeast Florida region. As a result of this, Brightline proposed for the SFRTA to facilitate a between the West Palm Beach station and MiamiCentral, with few stops in between. This would be similar to the route Brightline currently services in Southeast Florida. On May 31, 2024, the SFRTA announced that the new weekday rush hour express train, with stops at Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale Airport, and Metrorail Transfer, which began service on July 1, 2024.


Extensions and upgrades


Proposed routes


Coastal Link (FEC line service)

In the 2025 and 2030 long-range transportation plans, Tri-Rail has envisioned moving to or adding service on the Florida East Coast Railway (FEC) corridor, which runs parallel to U.S. 1 ( Biscayne Boulevard/ Brickell Avenue in Miami-Dade County, and Federal Highway in Broward and Palm Beach counties). This corridor will provide more opportunities for pedestrian travel from stations to end destinations than does the current South Florida Rail Corridor, which must rely almost exclusively on shuttle buses for passenger distribution. Tri-Rail officials project that the project would cost about $2.5 billion and that 59,000 people per day would ride it, The FEC, which denied the state's request to use the line for commuter rail in the 1980s, is now under new ownership as of 2017, and has now stated that it is willing to allow the use of the segment of track between downtown Miami and Jupiter for passenger trains. Tri-Rail service on the FEC line would bring stations to
Downtown Miami Downtown Miami is the urban city center of Miami, Florida, United States. The city's greater downtown region consists of the Central Business District, Brickell, the Historic District, Government Center, the Arts & Entertainment District, and ...
's transit hub, Government Center station via MiamiCentral, as well as service in Midtown Miami/ Miami Design District,
Upper East Side The Upper East Side, sometimes abbreviated UES, is a neighborhood in the boroughs of New York City, borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded approximately by 96th Street (Manhattan), 96th Street to the north, the East River to the e ...
/ Miami Shores, North Miami, North Miami Beach/ Aventura, Downtown Hollywood, and Downtown Fort Lauderdale, putting it within walking distance of thousands of potential riders. Getting to and from the current stations has been a major detractor of Tri-Rail's convenience since opening. Miami's Downtown Development Authority along with Miami-area politicians are actively lobbying to bring Tri-Rail to the city core. Track connections between the FEC tracks and the South Florida Rail Corridor are also currently under construction. These connections are mainly for freight connectivity between the two lines, but are planned for future Coastal Link use. The Northwood Connection just north of West Palm Beach will provide a new connection as well as rehabilitating an existing connection. The Iris Connection will connect the SFRC to the FEC's Little River Branch near Hialeah. FDOT has built both connections, which were funded by a federal TIGER grant. The Coastal Link is planned to begin in phases. The first phase is known as Tri-Rail Downtown Miami Link, which began service on January 13, 2024. A later phase would allow Tri-Rail to begin service to Jupiter by having trains switch to the FEC on the new Northwood connection north of West Palm Beach and head north to Jupiter with additional stops in Palm Beach Gardens, Lake Park and Riviera Beach. No official timeframe has been given for this phase. Miami-Dade County is also working to find funding for service on the FEC from Downtown Miami as far north as Aventura. Construction of an additional track for commuter service would require the approval of Brightline, which owns trackage rights to operate passenger trains over the corridor. If the Coastal Link is fully implemented, Tri-Rail would operate in three separate services with a line on the FEC tracks from Jupiter to Downtown Fort Lauderdale, a line on the existing tracks from Mangonia Park to Pompano Beach, and then transition to the FEC tracks and continue to Downtown Miami. Another line would run on the existing tracks from Boca Raton to Miami Airport. Before full implementation of the Coastal Link service can begin, officials have acknowledged that a new crossing over (or under) the New River in Fort Lauderdale is necessary. The FEC's current low-level drawbridge is unable to handle Tri-Rail service along with Brightline and FEC freight service without negatively affecting vessel traffic on the river since the bridge would need to be lowered quite often. Proposals include a taller bridge or possibly a tunnel under the river. In 2020, Brightline solicited a proposal to operate a commuter rail service on the FEC, utilizing its exclusive trackage rights for passenger service, under a different system known as the Northeast Corridor Rapid Transit Project. Under these plans the city of Miami would support the service operated by Brightline, without direct involvement of Tri-Rail.


Homestead and Doral (CSX Homestead Subdivision line service)

There had been proposals in the past by
Miami-Dade County Miami-Dade County () is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most-populous coun ...
and
CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of track, it is the lead ...
to use the CSX Homestead Subdivision for Tri-Rail service, with the corridor being purchased by the county or the
Florida Department of Transportation The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the U.S. state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the power ...
. However, one of the problems at the time was that the price of the corridor was exorbitant. Since then, CSX has had new leadership, and the company is now willing to make a deal with Miami-Dade County to potentially have passenger rail service initiated on the corridor. Service could include the Lehigh spur from the Miami Intermodal Center to Doral, as well as the Homestead Subdivision from the Miami Intermodal Center to Homestead. , both lines only see sporadic freight service, and the southernmost of the Homestead Subdivision (south of the Gold Coast Railroad Museum) have been out of service .


Proposed stations


VA Medical Center station

Tri-Rail is currently in the preliminary stages of adding a station near the VA Medical Center northwest of the Mangonia Park station. The tracks northwest of Mangonia Park are currently owned by
CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of track, it is the lead ...
, which Tri-Rail would need to have an agreement with to operate at the potential new station. Palm Beach County is expected to cover the costs of the project.


Little River station

In November 2023, Swerdlow Group responded to a request for proposals from
Miami-Dade County Miami-Dade County () is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Florida. The county had a population of 2,701,767 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous county in Florida and the seventh-most-populous coun ...
for a new
affordable housing Affordable housing is housing which is deemed affordable to those with a household income at or below the median, as rated by the national government or a local government by a recognized housing affordability index. Most of the literature on ...
development in Little River, which also includes a Tri-Rail station. The project is located just east of I-95 and just north of the FEC's Little River Branch, which is part of the current route of the Tri-Rail Downtown Miami Link, which has no stations along the east-west route (with the north-south route eventually having stations as the result of the Northeast Corridor Rapid Transit Project). Swerdlow Group had indicated that they would fund $20 million for the station. Tri-Rail Expansion To Fort Pierce There currently no plans for Tri-rail expansion further north to Fort Pierce, there also an additional stop serves like Hobe Sound, Port Salerno, Stuart, Jensen Beach, Walton Rd at Port St. Lucie, and Eventually Fort Pierce station. Total 11 stops in the newest extension corridor


Operations

Tri-Rail shares the South Florida Rail Corridor trackage with Amtrak's ''
Silver Meteor The ''Silver Meteor'' is a Long-distance Amtrak routes, long-distance passenger train operated by Amtrak between New York City and Miami, Florida. Introduced in 1939 as the first diesel-powered streamliner between New York and Florida, it was t ...
,'' '' Floridian,'' and
CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of track, it is the lead ...
's Miami Subdivision. The Florida Department of Transportation purchased the track from CSX in 1989. Under the terms of the agreement, CSX would continue to provide dispatch services and physical plant maintenance for the track and would have exclusive freight trackage rights until certain conditions were met. At midnight on March 29, 2015, CSX handed over dispatching and maintenance to SFRTA (Tri-Rail). While this should have the advantage of giving passenger trains signal priority over freight trains, it was at first wracked with delays. Tri-Rail participates in the EASY Card regional smartcard-based fare collection system along with Miami-Dade Transit. Purely paper tickets are also available for same-day or weekend use. A paper ticket or an EASY Card with a paper-based transfer receipt (created after a confirmed trip is completed) can be used to obtain transfer discounts when transferring to Broward County Transit as well as Palm Tran. However, only EASY Cards may be used to obtain a transfer discount when transferring to Miami-Dade Transit. Due to the route's success, Amtrak's ''Silver Meteor'' and ''Floridian'' do not allow local travel between West Palm Beach and Miami. The two trains only stop to discharge passengers southbound and receive passengers northbound. This policy is in place to make seats on those two trains available for passengers making longer trips.


Fares and services

Tri-Rail fare is divided into six zones for 24-hour passes, ranging from $2.50 to $8.75, with fare calculated by the number of zones traveled through, and whether it is one-way or round trip. On weekends, a $5 all-day pass good for all zones is available, though trains run hourly headways. For frequent use, Tri-Rail offers a $110 monthly pass (good for Tri-Rail only) and a $155 regional monthly pass (good on Tri-Rail,
Metrorail METRORail is the light rail system in Houston, Texas (United States). In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of . METRORail ranks as the second most-traveled light rail system in the Southern United States and the List ...
, and Metrobus). Discount fares are available for senior citizens, the disabled, students, and children under 12. Certain businesses allow their employees to register for the Employer Discount Program, which reduces their fares by 25%. Free parking is available at all Tri-Rail stations. On weekdays, 50 train trips are made in all, with 25 in each direction, while on weekends only 30 trips, 15 north and 15 south, are made in all, with 1-hour headways between each train. While Tri-Rail peaks at speeds of , it can be extracted from the timetable and the distance of the line that its overall average speed is approximately .


Revenue and expense

For fiscal year 2010, train revenue was approximately $10.3 million. Total operating expenses for fiscal year 2010, including depreciation expense, were approximately $86.9 million. Expenses increased by approximately $14.9 million or 20.7% when compared to fiscal year 2009. 2010 was a low year for ridership after the economy crashed and there were service cuts. By 2015, ridership was about 25% higher. By 2018, fare revenue was budgeted at $13.4 million, whereas operating expense was $119.8 million.


Travel direction

The line has no turn around point so all trains will face one direction at all times. Locomotives will always face south. For this reason, Dual Operation Passenger Cabs are located on the opposite side of the train facing north. Trains will travel north in reverse and south forwards.


Stations

A typical station contains two tracks and two
side platform A side platform (also known as a marginal platform or a single-face platform) is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms, ...
s connected by an overpass. Most stations have large parking lots, however, some, like West Palm Beach and Hollywood have a limited number of spaces, most of which are reserved for Amtrak travelers.


Ridership

Annual ridership averages


Ridership records

Tri-Rail posted its highest-paid daily ridership in the commuter-rail system's 24-year history on June 24, 2013. It transported 19,060 people, many of whom attended a "victory parade" for the
Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...
, which won the 2013 National Basketball Association championship. Most trains operated at or near capacity, SFTRA officials said in a press release. Special four-car sets were operated to accommodate the anticipated overflow crowd. Previous Miami Heat victory parades resulted in high ridership counts for Tri-Rail, as well. On June 23, 2006, Tri-Rail transported 18,613 riders; and on June 25, 2012, the agency carried 18,355 passengers. In 2019, TriRail reached its highest annual ridership with 4.5 million riders.


Rolling stock


Locomotives

The service began with five F40PHL-2 diesel locomotives. Tri-Rail later took delivery of three F40PH-2C locomotives and two ex-Amtrak EMD F40PHRs (Now upgraded to 3C specifications and electronics). In 2006, six EMD GP49 locomotives were acquired from
Norfolk Southern The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States. Headquartered in Atlanta, the company was formed in 1982 with the merger of the Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway. The comp ...
and were rebuilt by Mid America Car Company to the designation GP49H-3. On October 29, 2008, the Tri-Rail switched to biodiesel fuel with a goal of a 99-percent blend, when available. On February 25, 2011, Tri-Rail announced an order for ten Brookville BL36PH locomotives, with options for 13 more, from the Brookville Equipment Corporation at a cost of $109 million. The purchase was met with criticism by the Florida Chamber of Commerce and state lawmakers, who claimed the bidding process was flawed. Rival bidder
MotivePower MotivePower, Inc. (MPI) was an American manufacturer of diesel-electric locomotives. The company traces its history back to being a division of Morrison-Knudsen (MK) since 1972. Tri-Rail later added two more BL36PH locomotives to the order for a total of 12. As of 2015, all locomotives have been delivered and are used in regular service, allowing the F40PHL-2, F40PH-2C, and F40PH locomotives to be retired. However, in July 2018, all the F40PHM-2C and F40PHR locomotives were sent up to Progress Rail in Patterson, Georgia to be rebuilt and returned to service for use on the Coastal Link. They were returned from August 2020 to January 2021, and have been put back in service on the RTA mainline. File:Tri Rail 803 Hollywood Florida Station (8562303983).jpg, M-K F40PHL-2 locomotive in Hollywood File:Tri-rail EMD F40PH.jpg, M-K F40PHM-2C locomotive at West Palm Beach File:Tri-Rail train Miami Airport train station 2015-04.jpg, EMD F40PHR-2C locomotive at Miami Intermodal Center File:Tri-Rail 812.jpg, EMD GP49H-3 locomotive at Metrorail Transfer File:Miami Airport train station Tri-Rail BL36PH 2015-04.jpg, Brookville BL36PH locomotive at the Miami Intermodal Center File:RTA Tri-Rail F40PH-3C (Morrison-Knudsen) Miami Airport (51977108791).jpg, PRLX rebuilt M-K F40PHM-3C at the Miami Intermodal Center


Passenger cars

Tri-Rail uses two types of passenger cars. Since the beginning of operations, the system has used 26 Bombardier BiLevel Coaches purchased new from
Urban Transportation Development Corporation The Urban Transportation Development Corporation Ltd. (UTDC) is a former State-owned enterprise, Crown corporation owned by the Government of Ontario, Canada. It was established in the 1970s as a way to enter what was then expected to be a bu ...
(even though they were delivered in GO Transit colors, the Tri-Rail cars were purchased new and never used or sold secondhand by GO, only leased by GO for a short period of time), a common model among Canadian and US commuter railroads, 11 with operating cabs and 15 without. Briefly, bi-level rolling stock from Colorado Railcar (4 DMU power coaches and 2 unpowered coaches) was used beginning in 2006. In 2010, the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority agreed to purchase new rail cars from
Hyundai Rotem Hyundai Rotem Company, often referred to as Hyundai Rotem (), is a South Korean manufacturer of railway rolling stock, railway signalling, defense products and plant equipment. It is a member of Hyundai Motor Group and has presence in more than ...
for $95 million. The first new car was put into service in March 2011. By late 2011, the 12 new locomotives and 24 new passenger cars had not yet been delivered, and the original cars, many over 30 years old, were falling into disrepair. This led to Tri-Rail often running two cars per train instead of three despite increasing ridership, leaving only standing room on many trains during rush hour. By January 2013, all trains were again running with 3 cars, just as most of the Hyundai Rotem rail cars were delivered. In addition to decreased comfort but more reliability, the new cars provide additional safety with front and rear crumple zones designed to absorb energy in a crash. In 2015, three Bombardier coaches were renovated to include additional bicycle capacity. Cars 1002, 1006, and 1007 had one side of seating removed from the lower levels, which were in turn replaced by bike racks. These trains with special bike cars have the capacity to carry an additional 14 bicycles per train. File:Tri-rail Bombardier BiLevel Coach.jpg, Tri-Rail cab car 501 departing Deerfield Beach File:Bikecar.JPG, One of Tri-Rail's bicycle cars, renovated to accommodate 14 bicycles per car File:Miami Airport train station Tri-Rail platforms 2015-03 (16577512697).jpg, Hyundai Rotem trainsets at Miami Airport File:Tri-Rail Hyundai Rotem cab car.jpg, Hyundai Rotem Cab in Hollywood File:Miami Airport train station Tri-Rail platforms 2015-03 (16577512667).jpg, Hyundai Rotem cab closeup


Diesel multiple units

In 2003, after receiving a grant from the
Florida Department of Transportation The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the U.S. state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the power ...
, Tri-Rail contracted to purchase two pieces of
rolling stock The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, Railroad car#Freight cars, freight and Passenger railroad car, passenger cars (or coaches) ...
from Colorado Railcar: a self-propelled diesel multiple unit (DMU) prototype control car and unpowered bi-level coach entered regular service with Tri-Rail in October 2006. The new purpose-built railcars are larger than the Bombardier BiLevel Coaches, holding up to 188 passengers, with room for bicycles and luggage. Tri-Rail possessed four DMU control cars and two unpowered trailer cars. One DMU train usually consists of two DMU power cars at each end of a trailer coach (making for two complete DMU+trailer+DMU sets on the system). Throughout their short careers, the cars suffered from many mechanical issues. Because of this all the cars were placed in permanent storage in 2012. As of 2024, all the DMUs and trailers have been retired with 704, 7001, and 7002 sold to the Indiana Railway Museum for excursion train service and are now off the property. File:Tri-Rail EMD GP49 engine 813 in Hialeah Railyard.jpg, A pair of DMUs trailing behind EMD GP49 engine 813 in Hialeah Railyard File:Tri-Rail (SFRTA) interior 2nd level.jpg, Colorado Railcar interior File:Tri Rail DMU 706.png, Colorado Railcar DMU 706


Chart


Current fleet


Former fleet


Accidents and incidents

On January 4, 2016, a passenger train collided with a
garbage truck A garbage truck is a truck specially designed to collect municipal solid waste and transport it to a list of solid waste treatment technologies, solid waste treatment facility, such as a landfill, materials recovery facility, recycling center ...
which had broken down on a grade crossing at Lake Worth Beach station and derailed. Twenty-two people were injured. This marked the first derailment in almost 27 years of operation. On January 28, 2016, Tri-Rail suffered their second derailment in Pompano Beach, after a train hit debris on the tracks between the Cypress Creek and Pompano Beach stations. This section of track is also where Tri-Rail is allowed to go its fastest speed, 79 MPH. One injury was reported and GP49H-3 locomotive #813 and a Bombardier BiLevel Coach directly behind it came off the rail. On October 25, 2019, a northbound Tri-Rail train led by Bombardier cabcar #509 hit a semitruck in Oakland Park. Several people were injured, and cabcar 509 was sidelined after the incident. On August 19, 2020 at Deerfield Beach, GP49H-3 locomotive 816 caught on fire and its passengers from the train were safely evacuated. No injuries were reported. On August 27, 2022, a northbound Tri-Rail train hit a vehicle left on the tracks in Fort Lauderdale. 6 people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The train partially derailed as a result of the impact. File:TriRail on the ground.jpg, Derailed Tri-Rail cars in Lake Worth Beach on January 4, 2016 File:TriRail P604.jpg, View of the train and garbage truck it struck in Lake Worth Beach File:Out of commission.jpg, Wrecked crossing signals at the site of the Lake Worth Beach accident


See also

*
Metrorail (Miami-Dade County) Metrorail is a rapid transit system in Miami and Miami-Dade County in the U.S. state of Florida. Metrorail is operated by Miami-Dade Transit (MDT), a departmental agency of Miami-Dade County. Opened in 1984, it is Florida's only rapid transit ...
* Metromover * SunRail * Transportation in South Florida * List of Florida railroads * List of United States commuter rail systems by ridership * Commuter rail in North America


References


External links

*
Tri-Rail Coastal Link Study

South Florida Regional Transportation Authority
{{Transdev Commuter rail in the United States Passenger rail transportation in Florida Transdev Railway lines opened in 1989 American companies established in 1989 1989 establishments in Florida Transportation in Miami