Report: Miami-Dade seeks federal funding for planned commuter-rail line

Miami-Dade County applied last month for federal funding for a planned commuter-rail line linking Miami to Aventura, and is in talks with operator Brightline to run the route, according to an article on the Miami Today website.

Construction of the new "Northeast Corridor" is expected to be finished in 2024, according to the county Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW).

Last month, the DTPW submitted an “Infrastructure for Rebuilding America” grant application with the U.S. Department of Transportation for the corridor, one of six commuting routes prioritized in the Miami-Dade Smart Plan, the article said.

The corridor will run on Florida East Coast Railway track between Brightline’s MiamiCentral Station and the future Aventura Station. 

Building the rail infrastructure, stations, park-and-ride facilities, maintenance depots and trains necessary to run the 13.5-mile route is expected to cost about $375 million. The corridor will cost $16 million per year to operate and maintain, according to Aileen Boucle, executive director of the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization.