Florida’s Tri-Rail trains continue to show signs of increasing ridership in the first quarter of 2025. 

Increases from 2024 and Other Ridership Stats

In the first three months of the year, there was a 2% increase compared to the same period in 2024.

The system reported that it had fully recovered its ridership in 2024 and has averaged 385,000 passengers a month in 2025. March numbers were just short of 400,000 recorded rides.

The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA), operator of Tri-Rail, recently reported that the system served over 4.4 million rides in 2024, about 30,000 short of its highest ridership year in 2019, which was 4,495,039.

On average, there have been 15,000 riders daily since 2024, and several days have reached 16,000 in 2025. Weekend service remains strong as well, with Saturdays having 8,000 rides and Sundays having 7,000 rides regularly.

“As we continue to expand and enhance our services, it’s clear that South Floridians are increasingly recognizing the value and convenience of Tri-Rail,” said David Dech, SFRTA Executive Director. “With more people relying on Tri-Rail for their daily commute and travel, we remain committed to improving service and ensuring a reliable transportation option so even more people come onboard.”

Analyzing the Growth Trends and How to Move Forward

Train station ridership reports indicate that airport travel remains a major driver of Tri-Rail growth, with the Miami Airport and Fort Lauderdale Airport stations being the system's first and third busiest stations, respectively.

Metrorail Transfer Station is the second busiest station, and it allows passengers to connect to Miami’s Metrorail system. Tri-Rail trains also provide service to MiamiCentral Station.

The express train service introduced in July 2024 also increased. There is a weekday southbound morning train and a northbound evening train, providing limited stops and a one-seat ride between MiamiCentral and West Palm Beach. Ridership on the express averages 450 round-trip passengers a day, often peaking at 500.

“We are grateful to have a dedicated ridership base that supports Tri-Rail and lets us know what we need to do to improve our services,” added Dech. “This continued growth in ridership demonstrates people are appreciating our efforts to make this a better system.”

With more passengers using Tri-Rail, SFRTA will launch an educational campaign for passengers on the importance of purchasing tickets before boarding the train and avoiding being removed from trains for not having a valid fare.