No more Tri-Rail? Service’s options are limited if Florida’s subsidy cut stands
And Brightline and Spirit Airlines think they’re in a financial squeeze.
Tri-Rail, another of South Florida’s money-losing transportation companies, has a date certain for its potential demise: June 2027. The red flag goes up if the Florida Department of Transportation, which owns the rail corridor over which the three-county commuter line’s trains travel, refuses to restore a dramatic subsidy reduction it decided to impose earlier this year, and no replacement sources can be found.
Instead of contributing up to $62 million annually as it has in the past, the state agency recently informed David Dech, executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, which operates Tri-Rail, that the new figure will be $15 million starting with the 2025-26 fiscal year, which started in July. The FDOT has yet to make a public announcement.