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We flew into MCO yesterday (flights to MIA filled up) and rented a car there to drive south to board our next cruise. As we got closer to MIA it was interesting to see the Tri-Rail facilities right alongside I95. I didn't have a chance to ride it but it looks like a system that works.
There is also quite a bit of construction around the airport that looks like a extension of Tri-Rail into the airport or some sort of other transit system. Can anyone tell me what it is?
We board Navigator of the Seas tomorrow for a 14 night transatlantic cruise to Rome and then will stay on board for 12 more nights in the Eastern Mediterranean.
I'll check back when we return.
Frank in warm and overcast MIA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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I thought you were going on the Equinox? NotS is a nice ship as well. Have a great cruise!
Posts: 497 | From: Clarksburg, West Virginia | Registered: Oct 2003
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Equinox was one of the plans but quite a ways back. This one and the following turned up at about the same rate at just Equinox. We have never been on a Voyager class ship so are looking forward to the experience.
Frank, still in warm MIA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Miami is building a transit hub at the airport, called the Miami Intermodal Center. It will include MetroRail, TriRail and Amtrak, along with the rental car companies.
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Note that Tri-Rail already serves the airport area at Miami. They have a single platform and a parking loop for connecting buses tucked in among all the construction for the new transit hub. I took a joyride on Tri-Rail back in November.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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Will Amtrak still stop downtown as well as at the airport? That would be great.
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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Amtrak's current station is a stub-end facility in Hialeah, which is not convenient to the Tri-Rail Metrorail transfer. When Amtrak serves the new intermodal center, their trains will not be able to use the existing Amtrak station without some sort of reverse move. I'm not sure how they plan to handle this.
The intermodal center will be served by a spur from the Metrorail northwest line.
It would be easy enough to build a connection at Iris (where FEC and Tri-Rail/Amtrak/CSX cross) and run both Tri-Rail and Amtrak to downtown Miami. Oddly, there seem to be no plans to do this.
Posts: 614 | From: Merchantville, NJ. USA | Registered: Aug 2000
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For access to downtown Tri-Rail has relied on a transfer station with the Miami Metro. This transfer station is only a couple of blocks from Amtrak's Miami station.
I think that there is a good chance that Amtrak will close it's existing station once this new inter-modal facility opens.....though Amtrak and Tri-Rail trains will likely continue to be serviced in the yard adjacent to the current Amtrak station. Likely also that Amtrak will continue to turn their trains on the reversing loop which surrounds their existing station.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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From Marriott Country Club Plaza Kansas City--
Ms. Sojourner, I would not consider walking anywhere outside of Amtrak's Hialeah MIA property. I would not even want to walk from MIA to Tri Rail Metro Transfer (OK, maybe broad daylight without luggage, but I'm pretty fleet footed; on that point gotta get back on the drill after having been gone and eating it up for the past six days).
However, you address one of the weaknesses of Tri Rail and why it has never been that much of a resounding success (unlike Frontrunner which I believe is already viable AND with plans to grow); namely because it doesn't serve the Downtowns of any of the major cities on its route. When one sees FEC freights tearing through Downtown Delray Beach @ 60 (I think they slow down a bit for Boca) within sight of an entertainment district and major brand hotels, one thinks "Tri-Rail should be there". But it runs, along with Amtrak, over the Seaboard. While, along with everywhere else in Southeast Florida, the Seaboard ROW has been built up (more likely thanks to I-95), I can recall when you stepped off the Meteor in Deerfield circa 1956, you stepped off "in the styx".
quote:Originally posted by notelvis: Note that Tri-Rail already serves the airport area at Miami. They have a single platform and a parking loop for connecting buses tucked in among all the construction for the new transit hub. I took a joyride on Tri-Rail back in November.
True, it does, but that station is just off Douglas Road, near the Wyndham Hotel (former Sheraton River House), on the east side of MIA. The new hub will be on LeJeune Road, with more direct access into the concourse.
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quote:Originally posted by notelvis: Note that Tri-Rail already serves the airport area at Miami. They have a single platform and a parking loop for connecting buses tucked in among all the construction for the new transit hub. I took a joyride on Tri-Rail back in November.
True, it does, but that station is just off Douglas Road, near the Wyndham Hotel (former Sheraton River House), on the east side of MIA. The new hub will be on LeJeune Road, with more direct access into the concourse.
I see..... will the new hub include moving sidewalks or some other people mover setup into the concourse?
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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There is talk of adding TriRail service on the FEC to serve downtown areas between Jupiter and Miami. This would be a great addition if it ever happens. If Amtrak serves a new station near the airport, it will have to make a reverse move back to Hialeah yard much like trains used to do from the old Seaboard/SCL/Amtrak station on 7th Avenue. It was a 7 mile deadhead move each way and switch engines pulled the train backwards to the station for departure and backwards to Hialeah Yard after arrival from points north. Once I was invited by friends with the rilroad to ride the deadhead move to the yard sometime around 1969 and it was fun riding the dome car on the Florida Special to the yard and through the wash rack.
Posts: 561 | Registered: Jul 2003
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I agree with GBN, walking from the current Miami Amtrak station to MetroRail is not a good idea. A better bet is to detrain at Hollywood (or any other common Amtrak/TriRail stop) and ride TriRail to the MetroRail transfer stop. This will take you right downtown. Beyond downtown Miami you ride right above the old FEC right-of-way that once hosted trains to Key West.
Posts: 561 | Registered: Jul 2003
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I have never ridden the Silver Service trains south of Hollywood, FL BUT last November I closed a personal gap by riding Tri-Rail from Hollywood to the MIA station and back.
We passed within sight of the Amtrak station at Hialeah (which I have been to driving in the past). What I most liked was getting to ride upstairs in the bi-level DMU Demonstrator.... It was a tall and smooth ride.
I concur that reaching Miam's metro or the airport is better accomplished transferring from Amtrak to Tri-Rail rather than trying to walk from the Miami (Hialeah) Amtrak station.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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I am always amazed how disconected many Amtrak stations are disconnected to downtowns and "transit hubs."
Posts: 516 | From: New Haven, CT USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Tanner929: I am always amazed how disconected many Amtrak stations are disconnected to downtowns and "transit hubs."
A lot of that dates from the 1970's when Amtrak was all about smaller, cheaper facilities on the outskirts of town.....
Same formula at Jacksonville, FL; Richmond, VA; Cincinnati, OH....
Then we had the put an Amshack in the shadow of a grand station phase..... Omaha, St. Louis, Kansas City....
It's all cyclic.
-------------------- David Pressley
Advocating for passenger trains since 1973!
Climbing toward 5,000 posts like the Southwest Chief ascending Raton Pass. Cautiously, not nearly as fast as in the old days, and hoping to avoid premature reroutes. Posts: 4203 | From: Western North Carolina | Registered: Feb 2004
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The map shows that the new intermodal center will be at the same location as the current TriRail airport stop. The addition of a peoplemover to the airport and a Metrorail spur will help make this very handy. While the current Miami Amtrak station is pretty decent, the location of the MIC is much more convenient from the central and southern Miami-Dade County cities of Coral Gables, South Miami, downtown Miami, etc. as well as the airport and cruise terminal.
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Last year I took a trip to MIA and did the walking transfer to the metrorail station. As long as it is during the day and you don't have a lot of stuff I think you'd be fine. If at night or with lots of luggage I'd take a cab or a hotel shuttle. It really is only about 4-5 blocks and the neighborhood, while not fancy by any means was mostly small businesses, auto repair shops, warehouses, etc. I think the new intermodal station when finished will be of great benefit to people arriving into MIA via Amtrak.
Posts: 7 | Registered: Mar 2008
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quote:Originally posted by sbalax: We board Navigator of the Seas tomorrow for a 14 night transatlantic cruise to Rome and then will stay on board for 12 more nights in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Arriving in Barcelona early this morning:
-------------------- The best part of life is the journey, not the destination. Posts: 497 | From: Clarksburg, West Virginia | Registered: Oct 2003
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Great pics, thanks for posting them! After Navigator was docked one of the Thomson ships was moored in front of us. Getting out (we were the first to leave) was a masterful job of seamanship only possible because of the use of the forward and aft thrusters.
The cruises, especially the second, were wonderful. We got into Athens on a quiet day. I doubt that the subsequent sailings will make it. Our alternate was Heraklion on Crete.
Flight home (FRA-IAH) was an hour longer than usual since we had to go north of Iceland to avoid the ash.
Frank in sunny and breezy SBA with a Princess ship anchored off the end of Stearn's Wharf.
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Wonderful pictures, and what a great trip, Frank. I am jealous of all you cruisers but should be taking a "land cruise" pretty soon!
Posts: 2642 | From: upstate New York | Registered: Mar 2004
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NotS is a nice ship as well. Have a great cruise!
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