Sunny days for Tri-Rail - Tri-County Commuter Rail Service, Florida

Railway Age, March, 1991 by Douglas Bowen

For decades, commuter rail operations in North America were confined largely to northern America-and to older cities. Postwar development patterns limited commuter rail application, many social and economic experts argued; the horizontal, light-density development of the Sunbelt made new commuter rail operation improbable.

Such assumptions immediately were a lied to Florida's Tri-County Commuter Rail Service. In two years, Tri-Rail has proved the critics very wrong and delighted rail advocates nationwide. Florida's first commuter rail service has opened the door for other potential rail services, both within the state and throughout the Sunbelt.

Tri-Rail began operations on Jan. 9, 1989, over 67 route-miles-the first commuter rail operation in the nation's Sunbelt, and the first new commuter rail start in North America since GO Transit began serving Toronto in 1967. Many saw Tri-Rail as a temporary measure-an interim alternative to car traffic until the widening of parallel Interstate 95 was completed.

Gilbert M. Robert was not among the doubters. Robert began serving as Tri-Rail's executive director in June 1989, and had no reservations about Tri-Rail's potential for success-or its necessity.

"We now have 4.2 million people along a 70-mile strip of land in the tri-county area," he notes. That's one of the largest population bases in the United States. By the year 2000, that base may hold six million people."

And those residents will need to coexist with southern Florida's environmental mainstays: the Atlantic Ocean, the Everglades, and the aquifers which provide water. It's an extremely fragile environment," Robert says. "It plays a major role here, and we have no more room for existing road infrastructure.

"Tri-Rail is the only transportation alternative for continued growth and a decent quality of life," he says. "It will develop into the main spine of transportation for south Florida."

* State makes commitment. Robert credits state officials with making a commitment to rail transportation matched by few other states. The state is determined to address transportation, environmental, and growth management issues aggressively with an eye to the future. Florida won't be reacting to its problems as they develop," he says. "Tri-Rail serves a commerce base that benefits all of Florida, be it commercial, tourist, or residential."

Florida purchased 81 miles of right-of-way from CSX Corp., including Tri-Rail's 67-mile service route, for $264 million. The state authorized $18 million for rail rehabilitation, including I I passing sidings averaging 2.3 miles in length. Another $18 million helped establish 15 stations along Tri-Rail's service route. Five existing Amtrak stations eased the financial burden.

Equipment purchases totaled $23 million. Five F40 PHL-2s provide motive power; the "kitbashed" GP40s were rebuilt by Morrison Knudsen's Rail Systems Group. Twelve UTDC bilevel coaches and six bilevel cab cars provide the equipment pool for 20 daily push-pull trains.

The UTDC coaches, familiar to Toronto commuters, have "performed exceptionally well," Robert says. We're pleased with the low maintenance, and the acceptance by commuters has been phenomenal." The cars can seat 162 riders; the face-to-face seating in the cars is "commuter friendly, suggesting a user-friendly system. We found that to be a real benefit," he adds.

* Ridership response. Tri-Rail's growing ridership has justified the state's investment in rail transit; from an average 3,000 daily riders through most of 1989, ridership rose 165% to an average 8,000 riders per day by February 1991.

Robert attributes the growth to improved operations performance. Tri-Rail's on-time percentage rose from 68% to 88%, in part due to a change in incentive policies which gave Tri-Rail trains priority scheduling over late Amtrak trains in peak rush-hour periods. An additional agreement with CSX resulted in improved dispatching for Tri-Rail operations, boosting reliability still further. (One rider recently revived the cliche-"I set my watch by it"-on a midday trip southbound to Miami, to Gil Robert's delight.)

And, significantly, Tri-Rail added one train in each direction at midday off-peak hours early in 1990, increasing the system's flexibility and appeal for non-commuter riders. Evening trains also were added, bringing late-hour Tri-Rail service to nearly hourly headways in each direction.

At present, 20 trains operate each weekday (10 in each direction). Tri-Rail began Saturday service last Dec. 8 with nine trains in each direction. Robert says Saturday service was "something riders emphatically called for."

Fares are $2.00 one way, with $ 1.00 fares for senior citizens, students, children under 12, and the handicapped. Shuttle buses, county buses, and Miami's Metrorail and Metromover operations are included in the purchase price, bolstering transfer traffic and Tri-Rail's attractiveness. Tri-Rail employs the honor system, with Sheriff's deputies from the three counties inspecting tickets at random.