Editing Tri-Rail (section)

==== Coastal Link (FEC line service) ====
{{anchor|Coastal Link}}
{{See also|Northeast Corridor Rapid Transit Project}}
In the 2025 and 2030 long-range transportation plans, Tri-Rail has envisioned moving to or adding service on the [[Florida East Coast Railway]] (FEC) corridor, which runs parallel to [[U.S. Route 1 in Florida|U.S. 1]] ([[Biscayne Boulevard]]/[[Brickell Avenue]] in Miami-Dade County, and Federal Highway in Broward and Palm Beach counties). This corridor will provide more opportunities for pedestrian travel from stations to end destinations than does the current South Florida Rail Corridor, which must rely almost exclusively on shuttle buses for passenger distribution. Tri-Rail officials project that the project would cost about $2.5&nbsp;billion and that 59,000 people per day would ride it,<ref name="sunsentinel59,000">{{cite news|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-09-16/news/fl-fec-passenger-rail-20100915_1_tri-rail-passenger-train-rapid-transit-bus|title=Officials seek public input on new transit option along FEC tracks|newspaper=Sun-Sentinel|date=September 16, 2010|access-date=2011-11-14|archive-date=2010-09-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100921115430/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-09-16/news/fl-fec-passenger-rail-20100915_1_tri-rail-passenger-train-rapid-transit-bus|url-status=dead}}</ref> The FEC, which denied the state's request to use the line for commuter rail in the 1980s, is now under new ownership as of 2017, and has now stated that it is willing to allow the use of the {{convert|85|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} segment of track between downtown Miami and Jupiter for passenger trains.<ref name="sunsentinel59,000" />

Tri-Rail service on the FEC line would bring stations to [[Greater Downtown Miami|Downtown Miami]]'s transit hub, [[Government Center station (Miami)|Government Center station]] via MiamiCentral, as well as service in [[Midtown Miami]]/[[Miami Design District]], [[Upper Eastside (Miami)|Upper East Side]]/[[Miami Shores]], [[North Miami]], [[North Miami Beach]]/[[Aventura, Florida|Aventura]], Downtown [[Hollywood, Florida|Hollywood]], and Downtown [[Fort Lauderdale]], putting it within walking distance of thousands of potential riders. Getting to and from the current stations has been a major detractor of Tri-Rail's convenience since opening.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Au_eynv2IlA |title=Tri-Rail Open WJTV |publisher=WJTV/YouTube|year=1989|access-date=2011-11-27}}</ref> Miami's Downtown Development Authority along with Miami-area politicians are{{when|date=September 2020}} actively lobbying to bring Tri-Rail to the city core.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/091029/story3.shtml |title=Miami Downtown Development Authority hashing out plans to bring Tri-Rail downtown |newspaper=Miami Today News |date=October 29, 2009 |access-date=2011-02-27}}</ref>

Track connections between the FEC tracks and the South Florida Rail Corridor are also currently under construction.{{when|date=September 2020}} These connections are mainly for freight connectivity between the two lines, but are planned for future Coastal Link use. The Northwood Connection just north of West Palm Beach will provide a new connection as well as rehabilitating an existing connection. The Iris Connection will connect the SFRC to the FEC's Little River Branch near Hialeah. FDOT has built both connections, which were funded by a federal TIGER grant.<ref>{{cite web|title=S. FL Freight and Passenger Rail Enhancement Project|url= http://tri-railcoastallinkstudy.com/tiger.php |website=Florida Department of Transportation|access-date=24 August 2017}}</ref>

The Coastal Link is planned to begin in phases. The first phase is known as Tri-Rail Downtown Miami Link, which began service on January 13, 2024.<ref name=“downtowndate”>{{cite news |title=Tri-Rail sets date to launch long-planned service to downtown Miami |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/tri-rail-sets-date-to-launch-long-planned-service-to-downtown-miami/ |access-date=6 January 2024 |agency=Trains |date=January 5, 2024}}</ref>

A later phase would allow Tri-Rail to begin service to Jupiter by having trains switch to the FEC on the new Northwood connection north of West Palm Beach and head north to Jupiter with additional stops in [[Palm Beach Gardens]], [[Lake Park, Florida|Lake Park]] and [[Riviera Beach, Florida|Riviera Beach]]. No official timeframe has been given for this phase.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tri-Rail Coastal Link Project Update |url=http://tri-railcoastallink.com/downloads/meetings/022715-TRCL-SFRTA-Board-Presentation.pdf |website=Tri-Rail Coastal Link |access-date=9 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170825061212/http://tri-railcoastallink.com/downloads/meetings/022715-TRCL-SFRTA-Board-Presentation.pdf |archive-date=25 August 2017}}</ref>

Miami-Dade County is also working to find funding for service on the FEC from Downtown Miami as far north as [[Aventura, Florida|Aventura]].<ref name="Barszewski">{{cite news|last1=Barszewski|first1=Larry|title=Difficult track ahead for coastal commuter rail|url= http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/transportation/fl-sb-coastal-tri-rail-problems-20170308-story.html |access-date=24 August 2017|agency=Sun Sentinel}}</ref> Construction of an additional track for commuter service would require the approval of Brightline, which owns [[trackage rights]] to operate passenger trains over the corridor.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lyons |first1=David |title=Waiting for Tri-Rail to run through downtowns? Don't hold your breath |url= https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/transportation/fl-bz-tri-rail-east-future-20191108-6gg5lzx735bvdplzgudwce7lra-story.html |access-date=12 November 2019 |work=Sun Sentinel |date=8 November 2019}}</ref>

If the Coastal Link is fully implemented, Tri-Rail would operate in three separate services with a line on the FEC tracks from Jupiter to Downtown Fort Lauderdale, a line on the existing tracks from Mangonia Park to Pompano Beach, and then transition to the FEC tracks and continue to Downtown Miami. Another line would run on the existing tracks from Boca Raton to Miami Airport.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tri-Rail Coastal Link System Map |url=http://tri-railcoastallink.com/downloads/AltBv5.pdf |website=Tri-Rail Coastal Link |access-date=9 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219033200/http://tri-railcoastallink.com/downloads/AltBv5.pdf |archive-date=19 February 2015}}</ref>

Before full implementation of the Coastal Link service can begin, officials have acknowledged that a new crossing over (or under) the [[New River (Broward County, Florida)|New River]] in Fort Lauderdale is necessary. The FEC's current low-level drawbridge is unable to handle Tri-Rail service along with Brightline and FEC freight service without negatively affecting vessel traffic on the river since the bridge would need to be lowered quite often. Proposals include a taller bridge or possibly a tunnel under the river.<ref name="Barszewski" />

In 2020, [[Brightline]] solicited a proposal to operate a commuter rail service on the FEC, utilizing its exclusive trackage rights for passenger service, under a different system known as the [[Northeast Corridor Rapid Transit Project]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Brightline in talks with Miami-Dade to run commuter-rail line, report says |url= https://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/Brightline-in-talks-with-Miami-Dade-to-run-commuter-rail-line-report-says--60560 |access-date=31 May 2020 |agency=Progressive Railroading |date=29 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Price-Williams |first1=Abigail |title=Memorandum |url= http://www.miamidade.gov/govaction/legistarfiles/Matters/Y2020/201056.pdf |website=Miami Dade County |access-date=31 May 2020}}</ref> Under these plans the city of Miami would support the service operated by Brightline, without direct involvement of Tri-Rail.<ref>{{cite news |title=Brightline close to county deal on commuter tracks. Next up: Fights over stations |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article245981730.html |access-date=25 September 2020 |agency=Miami Herald}}</ref>