"We'll be Fine" - Tri-Rail

I doubt if there were ever to be a Brightline v. Tri-Rail showdown, but this Cox Palm Beach Post article lays any such thoughts to rest:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/amid- ... dMlYFb0FZK" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Fair Use :

..All the attention has been on new baby Brightline this week but don’t forget about older brother Tri-Rail, which also rides the rails from West Palm to Fort Lauderdale and has for years.

But there’s no sibling rivalry, says Tri-Rail spokeswoman Bonnie Arnold.

“We’ve been working together for a number of years.

I still think the ticket to Tri-Rail's viability is access to Miami Central. This is what's needed to take it from its thirty year standing of "it's there" to that of a vital transportation resource.

Competition from a Disneyland ride? Uh, let's get real.

Tri-Rail and Brightline serve different functions. Tri-Rail is a commuter railroad with frequent stops, good ridership, frequent local service and reasonable fares. They offer different types of fares depending on how far one is going, senior or child or otherwise, many stops mostly in good locations and government support as no commuter type rail service has any hope of ever showing a profit.
Brightline on the other hand will be an intercity type service linking Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando. Too far to drive and too short to fly.
Both of these operations in my opinion have a bright future ahead of them serving a different group of riders.
Miami Central is to have five station tracks, three for Brightline and two for Tri-Rail when the station is finished. This will take the pain in the neck transfer to Metro-Rail as Tri-Rail will provide a one seat ride to downtown. The connection is in at Iris, the FEC is double track through that area and and finishing the station and equipping Tri-Rail trains with FEC cab signals and train control are what's holding this worthy project up right now. I suspect the station will be finished before Tri-Rail has their trains properly equipped to use it.
Noel Weaver

I've raised this point at other topics, but it bears repeating here.

While there surely is mindless "higgling and piggling" to go before Tri-Rail gains access to Miami Central, I believe such will happen - and will make Tri-Rail a more valuable transportation resource for the region than at present.

Now the problem; and that is Miami Intermodal (Airport).
To abandon the station there will be the start of the "YDIDJABILDIT" finger pointing game. To offer the existing hourly service to the Airport and new hourly service to Central will result in overservice with half hourly frequencies. Only in the New York area does that level of service exist.

While I'm certain there would be a bus transfer again to the Airport, or maybe there could be a "Hollywood Shuttle" with trains alternating between the two terminals, somebody will cry foul resulting in a political "food fight".

This could be "sport".

I was curious as to why Brightline is running Ft. Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, which is also served by Tri-Rail.

Then I saw the schedules.

Brightline takes about 40 minutes. Tri-Rail takes about an hour and 40 minutes.

Brightline is $10 (regular) or $15 (first class, including drinks/food and lounge access)--for only $5 more!

I could see a lot of commuters switching to Brightline for everyday trips, with that kind of deal. (Assuming that Tri-Rail riders have extra income, which may not be the case.)

Tri-Rail is the bet for commuter rail transportation in these parts. They serve intermediate stations which produces most of their riders, offer frequent service at a very reasonaable cost, offer transfer to Metro-Rail as well as buses in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Brightline offers non-stop service between downtown Fort Lauderdale and downtown West Palm Beach in about 35 minutes but Brightline operation is not designed for commuter service, no intermediate stops, it takes longer to load and unload at stations and it costs a lot more. Bus transfer at Fort Lauderdale is good, the central bus terminal is right next to the Brightline station but at West Palm a walk is involved and a taxi might be the best bet. It is like comparing apples to oranges. Both serve a very useful function or at least Brightline will when they get the whole thing in operation to Orlando and it is GOING TO HAPPEN down the road.
Noel Weaver

SouthernRailway wrote:I was curious as to why Brightline is running Ft. Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, which is also served by Tri-Rail.

Then I saw the schedules.

Brightline takes about 40 minutes. Tri-Rail takes about an hour and 40 minutes.

Brightline is $10 (regular) or $15 (first class, including drinks/food and lounge access)--for only $5 more!

I could see a lot of commuters switching to Brightline for everyday trips, with that kind of deal. (Assuming that Tri-Rail riders have extra income, which may not be the case.)

It's not quite that bad. Tri-Rail is scheduled at 0:58* between WPB and FTL, not 1:40.

Brightline will really shine on the leg to Miami though. Tri-Rail is scheduled at just shy of 2 hours WPB to Miami, where Brightline claims they'll do it in 1 hour.

*weekend schedules. Weekday varies by +/- 5 minutes.