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Project Description
Parsons has made two major contributions to the development and expansion of Tri-Rail service, Florida's first commuter rail service, and the first major commuter rail start-up in North America in more than 20 years. From the beginning, they served as lead firm on the engineering team that helped establish Tri-Rail, After two years of operation, Parsons was again retained to provide master planning and final design services to Florida DOT to increase the capacity of the corridor. Less than four years after the start of service, Tri-Rail carried more than 10,000 daily riders in the 67-mile Miami-West Palm Beach Corridor.
Parsons' initial responsibilities included engineering studies, design, and inspection services for the construction of 13 stations, parking facilities and roadway improvements, pedestrian overpass, maintenance and layout facilities including trackwork and electrical power service at the Hialeah Amtrak yard; equipment specification and procurement; agency coordination; monitoring the upgrade of existing trackage; and startup of the service.
After two years of operation, Parsons was again retained to provide master planning and final design services to Florida DOT to increase the capacity of the corridor to allow Tri-County commuter rail service to operate more trains while maintaining the existing CSX freight and Amtrak operations. The improvements were designed with the understanding that the corridor is expected to accommodate, at some future time, the high-speed rail link between Miami and Tampa.
Three major tasks were performed under this latest assignment:
- a master plan for double tracking the corridor;
- line, station, and trackwork final design; design of the second track for an eight mile portion of the line from Pompano Beach to Ft. Lauderdale; and,
- systems final design—design of the replacement of the existing signal and control system on the corridor for the eight-mile portion from Pompano Beach to Ft. Lauderdale.
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Project Location
Palm Beach, Broward and Dade Counties, Florida
Project Scope
Engineering Studies
Design
Inspection Services
Total Installed Cost
$392 million (initial), $300 million (double track)
Client
Florida Department of Transportation
Start Date
1989
Completion Date
1998
Significance
The achievement of operating schedules agreeable to CSX, Amtrak, and Tri-Rail was a significant challenge, because of the mix of intercity, commuter, and freight rail patterns.
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