Thursday this past week I finally got a trip in on both Tri-Rail and Brightline, here are a few tidbits.
Tri-Rail from Cypress Creek to Miami Airport was on time, clean and pleasant. we had a four car train, some trains are 4 cars and some are 3 cars. This is still a very good way to get out for a day or so. Bus connections are available everywhere. Miami Airport to Dadeland South (sourh end of Metro-Rail) we had brand new cars and they were decent and clean but the AC was way too strong and it was like riding in an "ice box". Riding back north as far as Government Center Station again we had a four car train of the new cars and again they rode well and were decent but again they were just as cold as the others, and in that respect they were not comfortable. I did notice about half the trains on Metro-Rail had new cars and half the trains had the old cars. This is still a good line to ride and it generally a sharp operation. Northbound we got off at Government Center Station. What I figured would be a fairly easy walk from Government Center Station over to the Brightline Station turned out to be a lot longer and more difficult than I expected and I would not do it again nor would I recommend it to anybody except the young and strong. There is still a lot of construction in the area as well. Brightline has an one hour gap in their daily schedule ane you guessed it, we hit the one hour gap so we waited. Smart for senior was $11.25 and worth it. The NB 3:40 PM out of Miami was pleasant, clean and our car and car next to our car were both filled with virtually every seat taken. They were doing some track work somewhere and as a result we did not make full speed all the way and were about 3 or 4 minutes late in to Fort Lauderdale. A short wait on the near by Broward Blvd. got us a ride on theTri-Rail shuttle bus to the Fort Lauderdale station where we soon got on Tri-Rail back up to Cypress Creek. In my opinion once they get running to Orlando Brightline will be a big winner here and the trains will be very busy. We had a short wait at Cypress Creek Station for the shuttle bus that goes practically by my door, all in all a very good day. Between freight, passenger and others we saw well over a dozen trains and it was all interesting. While waiting for our shuttle bus home both southbound Amtrak trains plodded through Cypress Creek, 91 ahead with one engine and 7 cars and 97 with two engines and I think 10 cars. Both of these trains were a far cry from what existed here when the railroads ran service years ago with typical winter consists of 15 to 18 cars.
At the present time my computer situation is in a state of flux and my participation on here is much reduced, I hope it will improve down the road.
Regards,
Noel Weaver
Tri-Rail from Cypress Creek to Miami Airport was on time, clean and pleasant. we had a four car train, some trains are 4 cars and some are 3 cars. This is still a very good way to get out for a day or so. Bus connections are available everywhere. Miami Airport to Dadeland South (sourh end of Metro-Rail) we had brand new cars and they were decent and clean but the AC was way too strong and it was like riding in an "ice box". Riding back north as far as Government Center Station again we had a four car train of the new cars and again they rode well and were decent but again they were just as cold as the others, and in that respect they were not comfortable. I did notice about half the trains on Metro-Rail had new cars and half the trains had the old cars. This is still a good line to ride and it generally a sharp operation. Northbound we got off at Government Center Station. What I figured would be a fairly easy walk from Government Center Station over to the Brightline Station turned out to be a lot longer and more difficult than I expected and I would not do it again nor would I recommend it to anybody except the young and strong. There is still a lot of construction in the area as well. Brightline has an one hour gap in their daily schedule ane you guessed it, we hit the one hour gap so we waited. Smart for senior was $11.25 and worth it. The NB 3:40 PM out of Miami was pleasant, clean and our car and car next to our car were both filled with virtually every seat taken. They were doing some track work somewhere and as a result we did not make full speed all the way and were about 3 or 4 minutes late in to Fort Lauderdale. A short wait on the near by Broward Blvd. got us a ride on theTri-Rail shuttle bus to the Fort Lauderdale station where we soon got on Tri-Rail back up to Cypress Creek. In my opinion once they get running to Orlando Brightline will be a big winner here and the trains will be very busy. We had a short wait at Cypress Creek Station for the shuttle bus that goes practically by my door, all in all a very good day. Between freight, passenger and others we saw well over a dozen trains and it was all interesting. While waiting for our shuttle bus home both southbound Amtrak trains plodded through Cypress Creek, 91 ahead with one engine and 7 cars and 97 with two engines and I think 10 cars. Both of these trains were a far cry from what existed here when the railroads ran service years ago with typical winter consists of 15 to 18 cars.
At the present time my computer situation is in a state of flux and my participation on here is much reduced, I hope it will improve down the road.
Regards,
Noel Weaver
