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Miami lies on the Atlantic coast in the southeast of Florida and has 2.2 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area (Dade County).

Miami's present urban rail system consists of a heavy rail metro line and an automatic downtown peoplemover. Both systems are operated by MDTA (Miami Dade Transit Agency).

Metrorail is a full metro system connecting the northern parts of Miami to the southern coast via the city centre. From there an automated peoplemover (Metromover) distributes passengers in the downtown area. Metrorail's Green Line is an elevated (2 km at grade), 36 km long line opened 21 May 1984 between Dadeland South and Overtown, after construction had started in 1979. Tri-Rail station was added in 1989 to create a transfer station for Tri-Rail's suburban services. The average station distance is 1,700 m which results in a commercial speed of more than 60 km/h. All 22 stations have escalators and elevators. Platforms are 190 m long (8-car-trains). An elevated metro was the only option for Miami due to the high ground water level in the area. In 2012, with the opening of the 3.8 km airport branch, the Orange Line was introduced. It shares most of its route with the Green Line.

21 May 1984: Dadeland South - Overtown
17 Dec 1984: Overtown - Earlington Heights
19 May 1985: Earlington Heights - Okeechobee

1989: Tri-Rail added

30 May 2003: Okeechobee - Palmetto (2.3 km)
28 July 2012: Earlington Heights - Miami International Airport (3.8 km)

The downtown Metromover opened 21 April 1986. This is an elevated, rubber-tyred, fully automated 3 km ring line. Later, in May 1994, two branches, one north (Omni Loop, 2.2 km) and one south were added (Brickell Loop, 1.8 km). The Metromover links to Metrorail at Government Center and Brickell and runs 8-15 m above street level. All stations are wheelchair accessible and video surveyed. Trains are formed by one or two 12 m long cars. Those trains serving the ring line only run clockwise (Inner Loop), whereas trains continuing on the two branches do so in an anticlockwise direction.

21 April 1986: Metromover ring
May 1994: Metromover branches
02 Dec 2013: Museum Park station (former Bicentennial Park station) reopened

Commuter rail line running north from Miami International Airport to West Palm Beach (Mangonia Park, 115 km)

In conjunction with the introduction of the long-distance service Brightline, a Tri-Rail shuttle service was launched on 13 Jan 2024 between Metrorail Transfer and Miami Central. [Tri-Rail Project Website] [Brightline]

 Projects

A second phase would see the Orange Line North Corridor Metrorail Extension, an elevated 15 km extension heading north from the existing Martin Luther King Jr. Metrorail station. In a third phase a western extension may be built towards Florida International University (FIU).

Miami-Dade Transit - Official Site

Tri-Rail (Commuter Railway)

Miami-Dade Metrorail at Wikipedia

Miami MetroRail & Metromover at nycsubway.org (with lots of pictures)

Jon Bell's Miami Picture Page incl. metromover

Metromover Info

BLOG: Read your webmaster's impressions of the Miami urban rail system (Oct 2014)

Our Book: USA - Midwest & South
feat. Miami Metrorail & Metromover