MIAMI — The head of the Federal Transit Administration on Thursday announced $26 million in funding to the Tri-Rail commuter rail system to help finish its double-tracking project a month and a half before construction on the final phase begins, the Miami Herald reported.
Agency Administrator Jennifer Dorn came to South Florida to personally deliver the second installment of a $110.5 million allocation from her agency. The remainder will be delivered pending congressional authorization, she said.
Since 1995, Tri-Rail has been gradually adding a second, parallel track. Currently, 42 to 44 trains use the track daily in both directions in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. When two of them meet, one of the trains must stop in a pull-off location.
“We share the tracks with CSX and Amtrak,” Tri-Rail spokeswoman Bonnie Arnold said. “It really negatively impacts our schedule not to run trains in both directions.”
The final phase of construction is scheduled to get underway in late September, Arnold said. Of the system’s 72 miles of track, 45 remain to be doubled. Most are in Palm Beach County, with small sections in Broward and Miami-Dade.
With the second track in place, Tri-Rail hopes to increase its weekday service from 28 to 48 daily trips by mid-2005. It expects to add two trips in 2003, two more in 2004 and the remaining trips in 2005.
The time from one end of the line to the other will also decrease slightly, from an hour and 58 minutes to an hour and 45 minutes. And trains will leave every 20 minutes during rush hour instead of every hour.
Tri-Rail also will add midday hourly service once construction finishes.
The current two- to three-hour gap in the middle of the day is reserved for construction work that could not be done at night.
Tri-Rail commuters learning of the fund award Thursday said they welcome the double-tracking.
By her quick estimation, Sarah Milan would gain more than an hour’s sleep with the new schedule.
The airline caterer from Hollywood gets to work at Miami International Airport at 6:15 a.m. Milan says her shift starts at 7:30 a.m.
Now, however, the next train would get her at the airport at 8 a.m.
“It would be so wonderful,” Milan said at the Sheridan Street station in Hollywood late Thursday afternoon. “I’d be able to get to work a little later.”