Amtrak trains may soon reach Miami International Airport
Amtrak trains might soon come into the Miami Intermodal Center, just east of the airport, as the Florida Department of Transportation District Six has resumed talks with the company.
Both parties are currently negotiating the lease and an acceptable termination clause, Nilia Cartaya, model development office administrator for the department, told the Sept. 22 Citizen’s Independent Transportation Trust Board meeting.
Separately, Amtrak would have to negotiate an agreement with Miami International Airport and the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) on their contribution to the maintenance of common areas, platforms, track and overhead canopy.
Victor Garcia, authority director of public affairs, confirmed to Miami Today that “they requested a copy of our agreement with FDOT on the common area maintenance, as they will have to work this out with them and the site project managers.”
The publicly funded MIC opened in 2015. Amtrak trains initially couldn’t enter the station as they were too long and disrupted traffic at the east side of the station at Northwest 25th Street.
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) spent $5.6 million reconstructing, widening, milling and resurfacing Northwest 28th Street from just east of Northwest 42nd Avenue to Northwest 37th Avenue, and also creating a new bypass road from Northwest 25th Street to Northwest 37th Avenue and constructing a new signalized intersection at Northwest 28th Street and Northwest 37th Avenue.
Still, Amtrak has not occupied the station as the company and the state did not reach an agreement over lease terms. Now, as officials are back at the negotiating table with the company, officials said they hope to bring the trains to the station soon.
“From our perspective, they’re very much interested in coming to the MIC,” said Deputy Right of Way Manager-Operations, Maria Llanes. “I’m sure that eventually we will reach the terms and conditions.”
In February, Amtrak completed tests at the MIC in which its longest train entered the station without disrupting traffic. “We saw the rail equipment operate perfectly; the gates went down as expected, so everything went very smooth for this testing,” Ms. Cartaya told the CITT meeting. Mr. Garcia also confirmed to the newspaper that SFRTA worked with Amtrak on this testing.
In addition, in July Amtrak Real Estate and IT teams visited the MIC to further assess the facility and the leadership and IT teams continued visiting the site through August, a presentation of the department details.
“They seem very eager. They’re constantly in communication with the department, so I think that that’s a positive sign,” Ms. Cartaya said when asked about the tone of the conversations with Amtrak.
Ms. Llanis said the intention of Amtrak was to discontinue its Hialeah service once it is able to bring its trains into the MIC station. Miami Today could not independently confirm this by deadline.
In March, Javier Betancourt, executive director of the trust, wrote Amtrak urging it to extend its Silver Meteor/Silver Star Intercity Passenger Rail Service to the intermodal center.
“If there is anything the CITT can do to assist in the realization of this long delayed Intercity Passenger Rail Service to the MIC terminal, we would be happy to consider it,” Mr. Betancourt wrote. “This would be a win-win-win for Amtrak, the citizens of Miami-Dade County, and our traveling visitors. We respectfully and eagerly request that you please make this happen.”
In response, Stephen Gardner, Amtrak president and chief executive officer, wrote back in April that the company was “highly interested in moving our Miami operations to the facility.”
Mr. Gardner wrote that the company was evaluating technical and operational aspects of moving its service to the MIC, and that the real estate group was working to reaching “mutually acceptable commercial terms for a long-term facility lease at the MIC.”
“Miami is a key market for Amtrak and is served by the Silver Star and Silver Meteor, which connects New York City and Miami,” said Kimberly Woods, Amtrak spokesperson. “We are excited about the prospects of serving the Miami Intermodal Center in the future. Discussions continue with the Florida Department of Transportation and other agencies to allow Amtrak to become part of the MIC.”
G B Norman
September 28, 2022 at 9:22 pm
I can think of reasons why Amtrak should not use the MIC facility. First, the existing station is “right sized’ and adequately attractive for the ‘two a day’ it handles, and if somehow the political winds blow differently and there is an initiative for additional trains, they also could be handled if they were spaced throughout the day . Secondly, the eight additional moves (four forward and reverse each) that would be necessitated will simply add to congestion over and interference with FEC freight operations X-ing the Iris diamond. This means the new transfer runs between the Port and the FEC Hialeah container facility.
So far as passenger convenience, the only segment of Amtrak’s Miami passengers that would be benefited are those that rent autos – and somehow I think that is a mighty small segment. I guess there are too some that could find the airport ground transportation offerings convenient. But somehow I think more passengers than not are “met’ by friends or relatives, and for that segment, there would be considerably longer walks to the auto, a much greater possibility of “losing” it (you know; elderly and overwhelmed), and having to pay for that parking.
I also must question what commercial use for the land on which the existing station (that would presumably be razed) is presently located could be found
All told, Amtrak’s best interests are served by simply staying put at their existing facility.
Larry.weedon
September 30, 2022 at 1:03 pm
What about bright line?
Johann Moore
September 30, 2022 at 9:22 pm
There was hope for a possible terminus at Miami Central(Brightline) Station with the potential for an extension to Port of Miami and cruise passenger terminals. I wonder if this idea with its mass transit interface options is still being considered.
Carey Chet Campbell
October 1, 2022 at 8:07 am
We need more trains, less traffic.
The Green Party is correct. Rail saves lives. Rail grows the economy. Rail increases the value of our homes, businesses, communities. Rail increases revenue for our police, fire departments, schools.
We need walkable, bikeable, pedestrian, rail friendly communities.
The Green Party is right on Rail.
Build rail now.
William
October 1, 2022 at 11:03 am
The station design snafu that kept Amtrak out of the station is classic government mis-management. Your article should have mentioned that this was always the intention but they didn’t build it correctly and this mistake has cost taxpayers millions of dollars and countless years. Amazing lack of professionalism from Amtrak, got and the MiC partners.
Bob Wallace
October 3, 2022 at 12:02 am
To answer some of G.B.Normans points above: the land the present station is on is part of CSX’s Hialeah Yard property. (SCL when I worked there) and I presume Amtrak pays rent to CSX. CSX will decide what to do with the building after Amtrak leaves. The rent at the MIC facility will I’m sure be a LOT higher. But one big advantage of that site is that it is served by Tri-Rail trains and the Miami rapid transit system (hardly a “system”, what with only one line!), but it serves a lot of potential customers, not just airport traffic. One big negative of the MIC location is parking. At the Hialeah site, parking is no problem, with no hassles from Miami police. At the MIC site, the police will be like ravenous wolves waiting to pounce on someone who is there to pick up/drop off passengers. Amtrak and the MIC negotiators will have to work out some sort of place near the station where Amtrak customers can park freely.
Carlos Perea
October 4, 2022 at 11:54 am
The shove moves across Iris would have minimal—if any—effect on the one FEC roundtrip a day to the port.
The major downside of the station move for me is the parking. Parking is free and plentiful at the current station whereas the airport is constantly running out of parking and charges $17-$25/day. I hope Amtrak passengers get their own lot and/or a parking pass or something or I’ll have to start driving to the Hollywood station.
Edward A. Phillips
October 8, 2022 at 9:18 am
As a passenger on Amtrak it would certainly bring a lot of convenience to our trip if Amtrak was using the MIC. In 2019 we visited for a cruise and our train was delayed 8 hours leaving Washington DC. Thankfully we were able to get an Uber at 2am in Hialeah (we were told cabs wouldn’t go into that neighborhood at that time). In December we plan to visit Miami again. This time we’ll be renting a car. Grateful the car rental hub is open 24 hours. However, when we return the car, I hope catching an uber (for 4, with luggage) at 6am (ish) is as convenient so we can make Hialeah by 7am, in time to catch our train heading north.