Brightline in the middle of commuter rail discussions in Miami

Written by David C. Lester, Editor-in-Chief
image description
Brightline begins crew training and qualification runs on new line.
Brightline

Commuter rail and transit in Miami offers several rail options to move around different parts of the city and county. First, there is Metrorail, which offers rail transit service from southern Dade County, through downtown Miami, to the Miami airport and in the north central section of Dade County. Next, there is Tri-Rail, which operates a commuter line from the Miami airport north along the Florida Atlantic coast to just north of West Palm Beach. Then, there is Brightline, which offers traditional high-speed passenger rail service that is building a line between Miami and Orlando, with plans to offer service to the Disney Complex, then to Tampa.

According to a report in the Miami Herald, the Miami-Dade transit authorities are interested in a new commuter rail line that will offer service between Miami and Aventura, a planned community in northeastern Dade county. And, the parties are approaching an agreement on a tax-funded plan. If an agreement is reached between Dade County and Brightline, it would throw cold water on Tri-Rail’s interest in providing service on an eastern route that would run along Florida’s Atlantic coast line.

Nevertheless, Miami and Dade County are open to a deal with Tri-Rail, and requested a cost estimate from Tri-Rail. “It makes sense for us to be the operator, and that’s what we’re hoping for,” said Victor Garcia, a spokesperson for the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, which runs Tri-Rail.

In addition to determining which agency will run the commuter service, there is also a hot discussion going on about where to locate the commuter rail stations, regardless of who runs the line. For more information on this aspect of the story, please check online.

Read more on passenger rail.

Tags: , , , , ,

Media