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SFTRA/Tri-Rail is eager to get into Miami Central Station—and we will. But we need to do it safely.
We owe it to our riders and the community to set the record straight. Tri-Rail did not build the downtown Miami train station which includes the platforms for our trains. Brightline is the developer of this project.
Unfortunately, we were delivered an inadequately constructed platform, which was detailed last month by an engineering firm retained by SFRTA. The firm discovered several defects and raised other serious concerns, which should be of the utmost concern to those of us who live in South Florida.
This is the main cause of the current delay for Tri-Rail to start operating trains into Downtown Miami.
There are protrusions under the platform that will clip the steps of our trains unless corrected, plus cracking, anchor bolts not tied down, water leakage and more. The station was not poorly designed, but poorly constructed, and could pose additional maintenance costs that would be shifted to the taxpayers.
On another note, there have been mentions about other issues, such as “dirty trains.” Tri-Rail a while back provided Brightline with information from the US Environmental Protection Agency, which they have now accepted, showing our trains are EPA compliant. As for the safety system, months ago, Tri-Rail installed the federally required system, but to meet FEC’s internal operating rules on the corridor, we are in the process of upgrading the software.
Back in October 2021, it was stated to the SFRTA board that staff was waiting on the engineer’s report to know the extent of the issues to be able to provide firm answers on next steps. Our professional team has been actively working on this for quite some time and continues to make it a priority.
Tri-Rail is acting responsibly by pointing out these issues and working with Brightline to take corrective measures to address safety concerns before Tri-Rail service begins, and not after. Our goal is to be transparent. This is a very important step in Tri-Rail’s history, and we welcome community engagement and fair reporting.
On a personal note, I have been riding Tri-Rail as a regular commuter going on 12 years. I don’t just talk the talk, but I ride the ride. As a new executive director in 2019, working with my leadership team and dedicated staff, I erased a $16 million agency deficit, oversaw the repairs to eliminate 38 debilitating speed restrictions on our tracks (a slowdown every other mile), and met a federal deadline for installing a costly and complicated safety system on our corridor.
Tri-Rail is a vital part of the thriving South Florida landscape, and getting into Downtown Miami remains a major priority. SFRTA staff is working with a sense of urgency to get this done. Despite the challenges we have been presented, SFRTA will continue to work to ensure Tri-Rail rolls into Miami Central as quickly as possible, but safely.
