Tri-Rail, Amtrak service off the rails

Commuters forced to use alternate transportation

and Amtrak have been slammed dead in their tracks.

Passengers will have to wait until next week at the earliest before limited service resumes as workers scramble to fix the damage left by Hurricane Irma. Among the problems:

Ten miles of Tri-Rail’s track between Miami-Dade and West Palm Beach were covered with downed trees and fencing.

Nearly 40 crossing signals and a third of Tri-Rail’s 18 train stations lack power.

Tri-Rail’s Golden Glades station in Miami-Dade was damaged beyond immediate repair.

“Our contractors have been working hard to solve these problems,” said Steve Abrams, chairman of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. “Staff has been on the job around the clock.”

When Tri-Rail service resumes, it will be on a limited basis, Abrams said.

“The objective will be to transport passengers from Point A to Point B as safely and in as timely a manner as is possible,” he said. “We are aiming to create a schedule that, while not the one you are accustomed to, will be one that is sustainable once implemented.”

Tri-Rail and Amtrak will not be providing bus service between train

stations, except in the case of the damaged Golden Glades station. When service is restored, there will be a shuttle bus between the Opa-locka and Hollywood stations.

Alternatives include public buses, Metrorail, taxis, carpooling and ride sharing services such as Uber and Lyft.

Under normal circumstances, Tri-Rail service includes 18 stops between Miami International Airport and Mangonia Park in West Palm Beach. There are 50 daily trains running between 4 a.m. and 1 a.m. during the week and 30 each on Saturday and Sunday running between 5 a.m. and midnight.

Without Tri-Rail, Michael Reid spends about 90 minutes on buses between his Miami home and his job in Boca Raton.

“It takes a long time,” he said. “Tri-Rail is necessary for me.”

Also sidelined for now: Amtrak, which runs three daily trains through Florida including the Silver Star, Silver Meteor and Auto Train.

The Silver Star is running, but only between New York City and Jacksonville. Service to Orlando, Tampa and Miami has been postponed until further notice.

The Silver Meteor between Miami and New York City, and the Auto Train between Sanford and Lorton, Va., remain canceled due to track debris and power outages.

Taking a Brightline express passenger train is not an option.

Service between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach was scheduled to launch in the fall, but spokeswoman Ali Soule said tracks and trains were being checked for storm damage.

“We are working hard to resume running the train sets on the tracks for crew training and to complete the work necessary to launch our service later this year,” she said.