What’s your favorite train to get around? Things to know about riding the rails in Miami
Miami isn’t the Northeast, where subways and commuter trains take you almost anywhere you need to go. But you can ride the rails in South Florida and get close to your destination — if it’s on the route.
We have an elevated rail in Metrorail. A downtown people mover in Metromover. We have a tri-county commuter train in Tri-Rail. And we have a higher-speed service in Brightline. There’s also Amtrak, the national railroad with stations up and down Florida coasts on the way elsewhere.
What’s your favorite?
And, no, those trolleys on Miami streets don’t count. They’re dressed-up buses and don’t run on a rail.
But the county buses that run on the South Miami-Dade busway come close. They run in bus-only lanes that used to be train tracks. But they’re still buses.
But one thing is for certain with any train you ride in South Florida: They don’t go or stop everywhere. Not the seaport. Not Doral. Not South Beach. Not Wynwood. Not Northeast Miami-Dade. And only in the past decade has a Metrorail line been extended to Miami International Airport.
But you can get still get a lot of places.
Need a guide to see if the train takes you where you want to go? Well, here you go:
Tri-Rail
What: Commuter rail that runs 73 miles through Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Service started in 1989/
Route: Runs from Miami International Airport through Golden Glades in Miami-Dade County, Hollywood through Deerfield Beach in Broward County, and Boca Raton through Mangonia Park in Palm Beach County at a total of 18 stations.
Stations: Miami Airport, Hialeah Market, Metrorail Transfer, Opa-locka, Golden Glades, Hollywood, Sheridan Street, Fort Lauderdale Airport, Fort Lauderdale, Cypress Creek, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Lake Worth, West Palm Beach, Magonia Park.
Cost: Fares range from $2.50 to $8.75 one-way depending on trip length.
To know more: tri-rail.com
Brightline
What: Yellow trains that run at higher speeds. The pandemic shut down service in March 2020. Trains began rolling again in November 2021.
Route: Runs from downtown Miami with stops in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Future stations include Aventura, Boca Raton and Orlando.
Stations: MiamiCentral Station, 600 NW First Ave.; Fort Lauderdale at 101 NW Second Ave.; West Palm Beach station at 501 Evernia St.
Cost: Miami to Fort Lauderdale ($10 basic, $27 premium), Miami to West Palm Beach ($15 basic, $37 premium)
To know more: gobrightline.com
Amtrak
What: The national railroad runs the Silver Star and the Silver Meteor in Florida. The Silver Star goes to Tampa.
Routes: Amtrak stations in Florida are in Jacksonville, Palatka, DeLand, Winter Park, Orlando, Sanford (Auto Train station), Kissimmee, Tampa, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Sebring, Okeechobee, West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Miami/Hialeah.
Cost: Vary by destination.
To know more: https://amtrakguide.com/
Metrorail
What: A 25-mile two-direction elevated rail that runs from Kendall to Northwest Miami-Dade.
Routes: Stops include Miami International Airport, Kendall, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Civic Center, Brownsville, Liberty City and Hialeah. There are two lines, Orange, which serves the airport, and Green, which serves North-Central and Northwest Miami-Dade.
Cost: Fare is $2.25, parking is $4.50 daily.
To know more: https://www.miamidade.gov/global/transportation/metrorail.page
Metromover
What: Driverless people mover circles downtown Miami, with a legs south to Brickell and north to the Arsht Center areas.
Route: Major stops include stations near FTX Arena (home of the Miami Heat), Bayside Marketplace and Miami Dade College’s downtown campus. Connects with Metrorail at the Government Center station..
Cost: Free.
To know more: https://www.miamidade.gov/global/transportation/metromover.page
This story was originally published November 17, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
