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Southern Florida Regional Train Rides with Tri-Rail

Florian Buechting Other Transportation No Comments

Tri-Rail Southern Florida

Tri-Rail Southern Florida
3.9

Rating

 3.9/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Very solid rolling stock
  • Nice stations
  • Soon: link to Central Miami and Brightline

Flyctory.com Cons

  • Some statiosn are remote

After I introduced you to the amazing Florida high speed rail service Brightline already, this post is about about rail service in the state which I checked out in October 2022. The South Florida Regional Transport Authority runs Tri-Rail, a commuter rail service linking Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. I did not have the opportunity to ride the full network, but at least had a trip from the very Northern station, Magnolia Park, to Delray Beach.

 

Tri-Rail – The Network & Tariff

During my visit, Tri-Rail connected Magnolia Park in Northern West Palm Beach with Miami Airport. However, there will soon by a Southern extention, so that there will be trains servicing the airport as well as a link to MiamiCentral. As Tri-Rail is operating on the same tracks as Amtrak (in contrast to Brightline), this will also be the first Tri-Rail station, which is also operated by Brightline. There are stations with the same name, namely Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, but in fact there are physically different stations for Tri-Rail and the high speed rail provider. The two stations at West Palm Beach are, however, just a short walk apart from each other.

The stations are split up into six different zones which lead to different fares. The one-way trips are between 2.50 USD and 8.75 USD. A round trip is double the price. There is a flat fee daily pass for 5 USD. This is quite a nice price regarding that the maximum distance is currently 70.9 miles or 114 km. Tourists can print paper tickets, but you can use the EASY Card as well.  With West Palm Beach Airport (PBI), Fort Lauderdale Airport (FLL) and Miami Airport (MIA), Tri-Rail is also connecting three international airports and can thus be a valuable service for visitors as well.

 

Tri-Rail – Rolling Stock

Tri-Rail is using double decker rail cars. They have multiple engines. My trip was driven by Brookville BL36PH engines, which is also the most frequent engine in service.

The cars have two level. Some of the cars have removed seats in some sections, either in favor of higher capacity during rush hour or in order to transport bicycles as well. During my trips around noon tme, there was absolutely no issue to grab a seat. Quite a lot of the statios are not that central and thus either require a transfer to bus service (or metro services in Miami) or going to the station by car.  In one of the pictures below, you also see an alternative engine, a refurbished M-K F40PHM-3C. Of course, all cars are air conditioned.

 

Tri-Rail – The Stations

As said above, apart from some very central stops, most stations are rather intermodal and either come with major parking lots or good public transport transfer connections. The stations I visited and the ones I explored from the train were clean and felt safe. There was typically some sort of staff around. Apart from ticketing machines, there were also basic vending machines as well. You also got basic information screens (which gave rather slow updates in case of delays, though). Thus, I felt that the stations I visited were absolutely fine. Some stations even feature mobility solutions by the Brightline network (e.g. bikes).

 

Tri-Rail – Travel Experience

I absolutely enjoyed traveling with Tri-Rail. The comfort is comparable to European commuter trains. I loved that there were sufficient luggage racks and WiFi onboard. You also had scattered power outlets, so that you can do basic work in the train. Unfortunately, there were no tables in the cars I visited. The staff was very friendly as well. Toilets were absolutely fine, as you see in the pictures. Unfortunately the (drinkable) water dispensers did not work during my trip. There were minor delays during my travel, but I feel they were bearable (less than 10 minutes delay).

 

Tri-Rail – My View

Especially if you compare Tri-Rail with other commuter rail services like the Nashville WeGo Star, it is a really nice rail service. Unfortunately, some stations are rather remote – otherwise, the service could be even more interesting for visitors. The link with Brightline at MiamiCentral will be an exciting upgrade to Tri-Rail during this year. I like it!

 

Rides on Rail (USA)

Here are my Rides on Rail postings related to the USA:

 

(Greater) Miami

Here are my postings about (Greater) Miami, including West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale etc.:

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