First Tri-Rail express train disrupted by pedestrian accident

PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. — The launch of a new express service by South Florida commuter rail operator Tri-Rail was disrupted Monday when another train struck and killed a pedestrian, halting service and forcing the commuter rail operator to provide buses for the line’s inaugural train.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that a northbound Tri-Rail train killed one person in the town of Pembroke Park, about 15 miles north of Miami’s main train station. The southbound express train from West Palm Beach was forced to stop further north at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport station. From there, passengers took a bus to the MetroRail transfer station in Hialeah, where they could take other Tri-Rail trains or the MetroRail rapid transit system to their final destination.

Tri-Rail service was interrupted by the incident until about 9 a.m.

The launch of the express service, which skips 11 stops on other Tri-Rail trains, was announced in May (see “Tri-Rail to launch … rush-hour service on July 1,” Trains News Wire, June 1, 2024). The first direct service to Miami Central Station and the first Tri-Rail Express were introduced at least in part in response to the end of Brightline’s monthly pass program, which allowed passengers to travel between West Palm Beach and Miami for $10 per passenger.

Tri-Rail’s morning express departs West Palm Beach at 6:30 a.m. and is scheduled to arrive at MiamiCentral at 8:05 a.m., 30 minutes less than the normal travel time. The outbound express departs at 5:35 p.m. and arrives at 7:05 p.m.