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Miami-Dade County officials are considering the creation of a direct train service between Miami International Airport and PortMiami, two facilities that are seeking expansion and modernization, and which currently lack any fast and direct public connection.
The initiative arises from a feasibility study published in September 2025 by the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), partially funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the county itself.
The project aims to establish a direct railway service, with no stops along the route, allowing travelers to move between the two points in under half an hour, without worrying about traffic on days of heavy boarding.
The study evaluates two technically viable alternatives.
The first is an extension of the Metrorail of about 10 miles, with an estimated cost of between 700 and 800 million dollars in capital and between 12 and 15 million annually in operation. It would have greater passenger capacity and provide a more efficient and direct trip.
The second is an automated people transport system -similar to the MetroMover- spanning about nine miles, with a cost of between 600 and 700 million dollars and annual operating expenses of between nine and 11 million. Its capacity is smaller: around 50 people per car, although implementation would be quicker.
Both options would include a new elevated section of 1.9 miles from the Overtown area to PortMiami, crossing the intercoastal waterway via a newly constructed bridge.
The usage projections estimate between 1.1 and 2.1 million passengers annually by 2050, according to the TPO study itself.
The need is real and growing: PortMiami closed fiscal year 2025 with a record high of 8.56 million cruise passengers, an annual growth of 4.02%, and its Master Plan 2050 projects a reach of 24 million.
The airport, for its part, handled nearly 56 million passengers in 2024 and projects to reach 77 million by 2040, making it the second busiest in the United States for international passengers and the first for international cargo.
Currently, the only public connection between both points requires combining the MIA Mover to the Miami Intermodal Center, then the Metrorail to Government Center and finally taking a bus or taxi to the port, a journey that can take more than an hour on days of high demand.
The study identifies specific challenges in the cruise market: passengers travel with a lot of luggage, prefer door-to-door transfers, and their flows are concentrated during very specific boarding and disembarking times.
As a key opportunity, the document notes that "facilitating the transfer of luggage from the airport to the port, with efficient handling similar to airport-hotel shuttle services, could make the transit more appealing by reducing the burden on the passenger."
The airport's executive director, Ralph Cutié, acknowledged at the "State of the Port" event in April 2026 that "Metro Rail systems are quite expensive, and we need to see if they work economically."
The most frequently cited international reference is Vancouver, whose Canada Line of the SkyTrain connects the airport to the cruise port in 25-26 minutes since 2009, being one of the few systems in the world that achieves this direct connection.
As short-term solutions, the study proposes PortMiami-branded shuttles from key stations, integrated fares with a single ticket, better signage for tourists, and agreements with shipping lines to include transit in the cruise price.
The project is classified under "Priority IV" in the county's Long-Term Transportation Plan 2050, which means it does not yet have secured funding, and its implementation will depend on political decisions and budget priorities.
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava emphasized the strategic importance of both infrastructures by stating that "14% of the state's economy is located here in Miami-Dade, with the port and the airport," a context that reinforces the urgency to improve the connectivity between Miami airport and the port in light of the projected growth for the coming decades.
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