Miami Central Station
Encyclopedia
Miami Central Station, also called Miami Airport Station, is a rapid transit
, commuter rail, intercity rail
, and intercity bus
union station
currently under construction in Miami, Florida
, United States
, in the Grapeland Heights
neighborhood.
The station is just south and east of the Miami River
and Miami International Airport (MIA)
, respectively, and adjacent to the Airport Expressway (SR 112) on North Douglas Road (West 37th Avenue). When completed, it will serve Amtrak
, Tri-Rail
, Metrorail
, and Metrobus, and will provide a people mover
connection to the airport via the MIA Mover
.
Phase I of the station, which involves the construction of the MIA Mover, Metrobus terminal, and Metrorail concourse, is scheduled to open in April 2012. Phase II, which entails construction of the Tri-Rail and Amtrak concourse, is scheduled for completion and opening in mid 2013. The intermodal rail station
, a part of the greater Miami Intermodal Center
at MIA, is expected to be among the busiest passenger stations in Florida and the Southeast
upon completion.
service service into Miami began in April 1896
with the arrival of the Florida East Coast Railway
(FEC) at the new southern terminus in downtown
, just east of the current site of Government Center station. Service between New York operated in conjunction with both the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
and the Seaboard Air Line Railway
from Jacksonville
. In January 1927, the Seaboard Air Line Railway commenced service on its newly completed extension to Miami, with the Orange Blossom Special arriving at Seaboard's terminal in Allapattah two miles north of downtown.
Passenger service on the FEC was halted by a strike
in January 1963, and the FEC downtown station was demolished that November. Seaboard, however, continued providing passenger service to its terminal via the streamlined Silver Meteor and other trains. Amtrak
took over Seaboard's passenger routes in 1971, continuing to provide service to the Seaboard terminal.
In 1977, Amtrak determined it could not maintain the decaying Allapattah terminal, which also posed logistical problems for passenger coach maintenance, and moved the Miami terminus to its current location
at the Seaboard passenger coach yards near Hialeah
. The new Miami Central Station is located six miles south of the current Amtrak station, on a mile-long spur that branches south off of the beginning of the Seaboard (now CSX
) Homestead
extension near the Miami River
.
Construction of the facility began on May 18, 2011, but the ceremonial groundbreaking did not take place until September 27.
in 1987. The current station opened in April 1998 at the present site of Central Station. It is currently the southern terminus of the Tri-Rail system.
On September 12, 2011, Tri-Rail service to the site was suspended for approximately two years to facilitate construction of the new station, with Hialeah Market becoming the temporary southern terminus for Tri-Rail. Shuttle buses will take passengers from the Hialeah Market station to the Miami airport, with two trains per day stopping further North at the Metrorail transfer station (with accompanying shuttles) instead.
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
, commuter rail, intercity rail
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, and intercity bus
Intercity bus
An intercity bus is a bus that carries passengers significant distances between different cities, towns, or other populated areas. Unlike a municipal bus, which has frequent stops throughout a city or town, an intercity bus generally has a single stop at a centralized location within the city, and...
union station
Union station
A union station is the term used for a train station where tracks and facilities are shared by two or more railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently between them...
currently under construction in Miami, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, in the Grapeland Heights
Grapeland Heights
Grapeland Heights is a neighborhood in the city of Miami, Florida, United States. It is just east of Miami International Airport and north of Miami's West Flagler neighborhood...
neighborhood.
The station is just south and east of the Miami River
Miami River (Florida)
The Miami River is a river in the United States state of Florida that drains out of the Everglades and runs through the Downtown and the city of Miami. The long river flows from the terminus of the Miami Canal at Miami International Airport to Biscayne Bay...
and Miami International Airport (MIA)
Miami International Airport
Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
, respectively, and adjacent to the Airport Expressway (SR 112) on North Douglas Road (West 37th Avenue). When completed, it will serve Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, Tri-Rail
Tri-Rail
Tri-Rail is a commuter rail line linking Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, Florida, United States. It is run by the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. The system has 18 stations along the South Florida coast...
, Metrorail
Metrorail (Miami)
The Miami Metrorail, officially Metrorail and commonly called the Metro, is the heavy rail rapid transit system of Miami, Florida, United States, serving the Miami metropolitan area. The Metro is operated by Miami-Dade Transit, a departmental agency of Miami-Dade County...
, and Metrobus, and will provide a people mover
People mover
A people mover or automated people mover is a fully automated, grade-separated mass transit system.The term is generally used only to describe systems serving relatively small areas such as airports, downtown districts or theme parks, but is sometimes applied to considerably more complex automated...
connection to the airport via the MIA Mover
MIA Mover
The MIA Mover is an automated people mover system which opened at the Miami International Airport in metropolitan Miami, Florida, United States on September 09th, 2011...
.
Phase I of the station, which involves the construction of the MIA Mover, Metrobus terminal, and Metrorail concourse, is scheduled to open in April 2012. Phase II, which entails construction of the Tri-Rail and Amtrak concourse, is scheduled for completion and opening in mid 2013. The intermodal rail station
Intermodal passenger transport
Intermodal passenger transport involves more than one mode of transport of passengers. Some modes of transportation have always been intermodal; for example, most major airports have extensive facilities for automobile parking and have good rail or bus connections to the cities nearby. Urban bus...
, a part of the greater Miami Intermodal Center
Miami Intermodal Center
For the rail station next to the MIC, see Miami Central StationMiami Intermodal Center is a transportation hub under construction by the Florida Department of Transportation in Miami, Florida, in the United States. It will offer centralized transfer between Metrorail, Amtrak, Tri-Rail, buses,...
at MIA, is expected to be among the busiest passenger stations in Florida and the Southeast
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
upon completion.
History
Intercity passenger railInter-city rail
Inter-city rail services are express passenger train services that cover longer distances than commuter or regional trains.There is no precise definition of inter-city rail. Its meaning may vary from country to country...
service service into Miami began in April 1896
1896 in rail transport
- January events :* January 23 - Construction begins on the Northwestern Elevated line of the Chicago 'L' with the first structure erected at the intersection of Fullerton and Sheffield Avenues.- February events :...
with the arrival of the Florida East Coast Railway
Florida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
(FEC) at the new southern terminus in downtown
Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
, just east of the current site of Government Center station. Service between New York operated in conjunction with both the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was an American railroad that existed between 1900 and 1967, when it merged with the Seaboard Air Line Railroad, its long-time rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad...
and the Seaboard Air Line Railway
Seaboard Air Line Railroad
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad whose corporate existence extended from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line...
from Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
. In January 1927, the Seaboard Air Line Railway commenced service on its newly completed extension to Miami, with the Orange Blossom Special arriving at Seaboard's terminal in Allapattah two miles north of downtown.
Passenger service on the FEC was halted by a strike
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
in January 1963, and the FEC downtown station was demolished that November. Seaboard, however, continued providing passenger service to its terminal via the streamlined Silver Meteor and other trains. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
took over Seaboard's passenger routes in 1971, continuing to provide service to the Seaboard terminal.
In 1977, Amtrak determined it could not maintain the decaying Allapattah terminal, which also posed logistical problems for passenger coach maintenance, and moved the Miami terminus to its current location
Miami (Amtrak station)
Miami is a train station on the southern end of two popular inter-city trains, the Amtrak Silver Meteor and Silver Star. The station is located in Miami-Dade County, Florida, on the border of Miami and Hialeah, ten miles northwest of downtown Miami...
at the Seaboard passenger coach yards near Hialeah
Hialeah, Florida
Hialeah is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 226,419. As of 2009, the population estimate by the U. S...
. The new Miami Central Station is located six miles south of the current Amtrak station, on a mile-long spur that branches south off of the beginning of the Seaboard (now CSX
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
) Homestead
Homestead, Florida
Homestead is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States nestled between Biscayne National Park to the east and Everglades National Park to the west. Homestead is primarily a Miami suburb and a major agricultural area....
extension near the Miami River
Miami River (Florida)
The Miami River is a river in the United States state of Florida that drains out of the Everglades and runs through the Downtown and the city of Miami. The long river flows from the terminus of the Miami Canal at Miami International Airport to Biscayne Bay...
.
Construction of the facility began on May 18, 2011, but the ceremonial groundbreaking did not take place until September 27.
Tri-Rail
Southbound Tri-Rail service terminated at the modern-day Hialeah MarketHialeah Market (Tri-Rail station)
Hialeah Market Station is a Tri-Rail commuter rail station located in Hialeah, Florida in metropolitan Miami. As of summer 2011, Hialeah Market Station will serve as the temporary southern terminus of the line for two years, until construction of the new Miami Central Station is completed.The...
in 1987. The current station opened in April 1998 at the present site of Central Station. It is currently the southern terminus of the Tri-Rail system.
On September 12, 2011, Tri-Rail service to the site was suspended for approximately two years to facilitate construction of the new station, with Hialeah Market becoming the temporary southern terminus for Tri-Rail. Shuttle buses will take passengers from the Hialeah Market station to the Miami airport, with two trains per day stopping further North at the Metrorail transfer station (with accompanying shuttles) instead.
Places of interest
- Miami International AirportMiami International AirportMiami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
- Miami Intermodal CenterMiami Intermodal CenterFor the rail station next to the MIC, see Miami Central StationMiami Intermodal Center is a transportation hub under construction by the Florida Department of Transportation in Miami, Florida, in the United States. It will offer centralized transfer between Metrorail, Amtrak, Tri-Rail, buses,...
- City of DoralDoral, FloridaDoral is a city located in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. A suburb of Miami, it lies north-west of Miami International Airport. It takes its name from the famous golf and spa resort located within its municipal boundaries. The Doral Golf Resort & Spa was originally built...
- City of Miami SpringsMiami Springs, FloridaMiami Springs is a Miami suburban city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city was founded by Glenn Hammond Curtiss, "The Father of Naval Aviation", and James Bright, during the famous "land boom" of the 1920s and was originally named Country Club Estates...
- Melreese Golf Course
- Grapeland Heights Park
Existing routes serving the site when completed
NOTE: As of Sept. 2011, this station is closed to finish construction of the Intermodal Complex.| Route # | Route Name | Route Map | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | South Miami Metrorail station South Miami (Metrorail station) South Miami is a Metrorail station in Miami, Florida, immediately east of South Miami city proper.This station is located at the intersection of South Dixie Highway and Sunset Drive , opening to service May 20, 1984.... ↔ Hialeah Hialeah, Florida Hialeah is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 226,419. As of 2009, the population estimate by the U. S... via Douglas Rd & Palm Ave |
Map | |
| 42 | Douglas Road Metrorail station Douglas Road (Metrorail station) Douglas Road is a Metrorail station just southwest of Coconut Grove, in the Miami suburb of Coral Gables, Florida.The station is located at the intersection of South Douglas Road and South Dixie Highway , opening to service May 20, 1984.-Places of interest:*Coral Gables**Village of Merrick... ↔ Opa-locka or Miami Springs (42A) via LeJeune Rd |
Map | Evening weekday terminus at MIA |
| 57 | Jackson South Hospital via Red Rd Red Road (Miami) Red Road, also known as West 57th Avenue, is a north-south street that runs west of downtown Miami in Miami-Dade County, Florida and into Broward County. Red Road is signed as State Road 959 from U.S. 1 to the Dolphin Expressway, and State Road 823 from U.S... (SR 959) and Perimeter Rd |
Map | Weekday service only |
| J (110) | Miami Beach Miami Beach, Florida Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the latter which separates the Beach from Miami city proper... via Julia Tuttle Cswy Interstate 195 (Florida) Interstate 195 is a spur expressway connecting Interstate 95 in the west with Miami Beach in the east, crossing Biscayne Bay by traveling over the Julia Tuttle Causeway, named after Miami founder Julia Tuttle.... , 36 St & LeJeune Rd |
Map | |
| 133 | Airport/Tri-Rail Shuttle (MIA ↔ Hialeah Market Tri-Rail station Hialeah Market (Tri-Rail station) Hialeah Market Station is a Tri-Rail commuter rail station located in Hialeah, Florida in metropolitan Miami. As of summer 2011, Hialeah Market Station will serve as the temporary southern terminus of the line for two years, until construction of the new Miami Central Station is completed.The... or NW 79th Street/37th Ave |
Map | To be discontinued when station is reopened. |
| 150 | Airport Flyer (MIA ↔ Lincoln Road Lincoln Road Lincoln Road is a pedestrian road running east-west between 16th Street and 17th Street in Miami Beach, Florida, United States. Once open to vehicular traffic, it now hosts a pedestrian row of shops, restaurants, galleries, and other businesses between Washington Avenue and Alton... , Miami Beach via the Airport Expressway, Julia Tuttle Causeway Interstate 195 (Florida) Interstate 195 is a spur expressway connecting Interstate 95 in the west with Miami Beach in the east, crossing Biscayne Bay by traveling over the Julia Tuttle Causeway, named after Miami founder Julia Tuttle.... , and Collins Avenue Collins Avenue Collins Avenue runs parallel to the Atlantic Ocean in Miami Beach, Florida, one block west. It is also State Road A1A. Collins Avenue was named for John S... ) |
Map | |
| 238 | East-West Connection (Dolphin Mall Dolphin Mall Dolphin Mall is a popular shopping mall just west of Doral proper in metropolitan Miami, Florida. There are over 240 retail outlets and name brand discounters as anchors.The Mall opened on March 1, 2001, the first of four Taubman Malls to open that year... ↔ Earlington Heights station) |
Map | Weekday service only |
New service upon Central Station completion
| Route # | Route Name | Route Map | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Coconut Grove Metrorail station Coconut Grove (Metrorail station) Coconut Grove is a Metrorail station on the western end of the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami, Florida.The station is located at the intersection of South Dixie Highway and West 27th Avenue , opening to service May 20, 1984.... ↔ Central Station via Downtown Miami Downtown Miami Downtown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States... and Brickell |
Map | |
| 7M | Culmer Metrorail station Culmer (Metrorail station) Culmer is a Metrorail station in Miami, Florida, just south of the Midtown Interchange.This station is located at the intersection of Northwest 11th Street and Seventh Avenue , opening to service December 17, 1984... ↔ Central Station via NW 7th Street and Marlins Ballpark |
Map | |
| 97 | 27th Ave MAX Central Station ↔ Calder Race Track/Dolphin Stadium and County Line via NW 27th Ave | Weekdays Only | |
| 836X | West Miami-Dade ↔ Downtown Miami via Central Station and Dolphin Expressway (SR 836) | Weekday rush hour Rush hour A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute... service; limited-stop Limited-stop In public transport, a limited-stop bus, tram or train service is a service that operates along the same route as a local bus service, but omits certain stops in order to offer a faster trip between the places served. The term is normally used on routes with a mixture of fast and slow services... |
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