Railroad Forums 

  • Amtrak in Miami (Hialeah, Miami Intermodal Center/Airport)

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

 #1515382  by PC1100
 
The current station site is unusual for an Amtrak long distance terminal, but typical of those post-1950s station locations elsewhere (Savannah, Charlotte, Jacksonville, Richmond, etc). I just find arriving in a major city like Miami and ending up in an industrial district on a back street miles out of downtown (effectively the middle of nowhere) to be very odd. It's the only terminal of a long distance route on the entire Amtrak system that is in such a location. The airport itself is a strange place to terminate a railroad, but at least you are in a busy transportation center with direct access to rapid transit to downtown. At the VERY least, a lighted, covered walkway to the current Metro-Rail transfer station would be better than the "welcome to an industrial street in Hialeah, FL (even though the sign and your tickets all show Miami!), you're on your own now!" When I was down there 3 years ago I got off at Hollywood, transferred to Tri-Rail to the airport, then Metro-Rail to downtown. Given the other options of a walk down an industrial street in an unfamiliar area to connect to Metro-Rail, an expensive cab ride, or a slow running infrequent bus connection, this was my best bet, which wouldn't have been too bad except my destination was Miami Beach! Then after all that, I missed my bus connection from downtown to Miami Beach. The current location certainly doesn't help Amtrak's image or increase ridership in an era when the trend is toward downtown development and walkabilty. The station building really isn't the issue, it's just out of place.
 #1515404  by mtuandrew
 
PC1100: shades of Minneapolis-St. Paul Midway Station, now solely a crew base and car switching location. (Also the only other 300A Standard Station on the entire system.) It’s nowhere near either downtown - at least it was always close to the major intercity bus route on University Avenue, less than 30 minutes to either place and barely 15 to the University of Minnesota. It doesn’t sound like Miami-Hialeah has that kind of convenience.
Last edited by mtuandrew on Mon Jul 29, 2019 3:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 #1515439  by Suburban Station
 
ideally I'd be dropped off downtown. the chance of me taking a long distance train to an airport is zero, I'd think the market to transfer to cruise ships would be higher. in some ways midway is worse since you pass through the city and then stop in the middle of nowhere. emeryville is also a letdown, after travelling all that way from chicago you get dropped off across the bay but there is a connecting amtrak bus to take you downtown.
 #1515548  by PC1100
 
Rockingham Racer, you are correct that the bus route isn't infrequent, but in terms of the time that 91 and 97 are due into Miami it isn't great. 91 is due in at 5:58PM and 97 at 6:39PM. There's a bus that runs all the way down to Lincoln Road area of Miami Beach at 6:25PM and then 8:21PM, the two other buses in between end in North Beach. While I know these aren't the only places people riding Amtrak are destined for, one should have more immediate transfer options available than this and arrive in a more central location. The Midway station is the perfect comparison.
 #1560774  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Looks like a local Miami TV outlet is dragging this up again:

https://wsvn.com/news/special-reports/o ... es-unused/

Fair Use:
(WSVN) - Millions of taxpayer dollars were used to build a new Amtrak station near Miami International Airport. Three and a half years later, it appears Amtrak has no intention of using it. 7’s Brian Entin reports how this project has gone “Off the Rails.”

With millions of your tax dollars, the Florida Department of Transportation built the Miami Intermodal Center, often called the MIC, as a transportation hub for travelers.

You see it better from the air. The MIC is just east of Miami International Airport, with the rental car agencies on one side and the Tri-Rail, city buses and Greyhound on the other.

But despite the writing on the wall, what has never been here is Amtrak.

Tatiana Bonfonte, traveler: (reading sign) “‘Amtrak is not servicing this station at this time.’ Wow. Why?”
 #1560780  by electricron
 
Gilbert B Norman wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:51 pm But despite the writing on the wall, what has never been here is Amtrak.
Tatiana Bonfonte, traveler: (reading sign) “‘Amtrak is not servicing this station at this time.’ Wow. Why?”
Because Amtrak does not wish to break its' Silver trains in half because the politicians in Miami built the station platform too small. In February 2012, Amtrak became aware that the 1,030-foot (310 m)-long platforms were too short to handle the longer winter season trains, which need 1,220 feet (370 m) of platform length. it is 170 feet too short for Amtrak, with 85 feet long cars, is two cars too short for Amtrak. What was Florida's ultimate reaction upon discovery of the platforms being too short, nothing. Eight years have passed and no Amtrak train has arrived. Amtrak will never arrive as long as Florida ignores Amtrak's wishes.
 #1560781  by bostontrainguy
 
electricron wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 9:46 pm
Gilbert B Norman wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 4:51 pm But despite the writing on the wall, what has never been here is Amtrak.
Tatiana Bonfonte, traveler: (reading sign) “‘Amtrak is not servicing this station at this time.’ Wow. Why?”
Because Amtrak does not wish to break its' Silver trains in half because the politicians in Miami built the station platform too small. In February 2012, Amtrak became aware that the 1,030-foot (310 m)-long platforms were too short to handle the longer winter season trains, which need 1,220 feet (370 m) of platform length. it is 170 feet too short for Amtrak, with 85 feet long cars, is two cars too short for Amtrak. What was Florida's ultimate reaction upon discovery of the platforms being too short, nothing.
Not exactly true. Florida did spend additional money to build a new bypass road further north after it was discovered that the longer Amtrak trains would block the original road crossing just north of the platforms which was considered the biggest problem.
 #1560784  by electricron
 
bostontrainguy wrote: Sun Jan 10, 2021 10:02 pm Not exactly true. Florida did spend additional money to build a new bypass road further north after it was discovered that the longer Amtrak trains would block the original road crossing just north of the platforms which was considered the biggest problem.
But they did not close the road Amtrak wanted closed permanently. A partial closure was/is/will be unacceptable to Amtrak. A temporary closed road does not make the platform longer.

Here is an analogy, take it or leave it. Miami built a brand new shoe and Amtrak is saying the shoe is too small. Miami's answer is cut of your toes off and the shoe will fit. Amtrak's reply, we love our toes and therefore you can keep your new shoe. Our old shoe works perfectly for us, it is well broken in, and it fits.
 #1560795  by Gilbert B Norman
 
What hath changed over the past ten years to make this "not smart" idea then "smart" today?
Gilbert B Norman wrote: Sun May 15, 2011 6:30 am This is likely as appropriate a topic as any at which to discuss Amtrak use of the Miami Intermodal Center (MIC; which i think is the tentative station code assigned for such. If not, then just more "fanese').

To continue, "last time I checked", namely when I was "down below' this past February, there appears to be conjecture whether Amtrak will use the new facility. While convenience for some passengers would be enhanced, namely for those using public transportation to their final destination and for the apparently quite few that desire to rent an auto, use of MIC would simply represent additional costs and operational deficiency from both handling equipment between the MIC and the Hialeah Maintenance Facility and having to rent facilities at MIC. Further, the likelihood of redeveloping a closed Hialeah station facility for other commercial or industrial use would be remote.

Since I somehow think the majority of Amtrak LD passengers are 'met", the MIC would represent an inconvenience; parking would have to be paid for (possibly a burden for some), longer walks would be entailed (also a burden for some), and a more "visible" security presence (unnerving for some; even if reassuring for many) would be evident.

All told, it appears that Amtrak use of the MIC is a 'stay tuned".
Now where I am at a loss is understanding why Tri-Rail has not yet accessed the Miami Central facility. The "oh we still have to work on the PTC" lame-one is becoming a bit old. Considering many of us around here have "PTC of sorts" in our autos today (next hurdle is to have it force adherence to posted speeds and traffic signals), why can't it be perfected for the rails? Lest we forget, the enabling legislation, RSIA 08, was enacted twelve years ago.
  • 1
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 18