Passenger counts show that 19,060 people rode South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA/Tri-Rail) earlier this week, most of them headed for the Miami Heat Victory Parade. The passenger count totaled the highest paid ridership in the 24-year history of the commuter rail system.

Most trains operated at or near capacity. Special four-car sets were operated to accommodate the anticipated overflow crowd. Security officers at the stations and on the trains reported that the celebrants were happy and orderly, with veteran riders being especially helpful to first-time passengers.

In spite of the extremely high ridership, no complaints were logged in at the call center regarding the standing room only conditions on some trains.

Previous Miami Heat Victory Parades have also scored some of the highest ridership counts in Tri-Rail’s history. On June 23, 2006, Tri-Rail carried 18, 613 passengers. Last year, 18,355 passengers rode Tri-Rail, most of them to join the celebration of the Heat’s national championship.

The Heat Victory Parade numbers were surpassed only by Dump the Pump Day on June 16, 2011, when the commuter rail system carried 19,731 passengers without charge in support of the American Public Transportation Association’s national effort to promote the benefits of riding mass transit.

RELATED: "Preparing Rail Services for Special Events."