How much money Amtrak was willing to pay and the Florida Department of Transportation was willing to accept for use of the Miami Intermodal Center headhouse was apparently the main sticking point in a years-long impasse that ended when the passenger carrier notified FDOT in November that it would not move its South Florida terminus to a facility adjoining Miami International Airport.
Apparently, because although an Amtrak spokeswoman forwarded the rejection letter it sent to the state, and FDOT issued a statement purporting to explain its actions, both parties declined to respond to specific questions Trains News Wire posed after the decision was reported [see “Amtrak ends plan to move …,” News Wire, Dec. 30, 2024].
In the Nov. 19, 2024, letter terminating negotiations, Jim Blair, Amtrak’s assistant vice president of host railroads, says, “The servicing requirements of these trains, and the additional costs associated with operations to and from the Miami Intermodal Center, ADA-related modifications (such as the removal of mini-high platforms and signage reconfiguration) and interior outfitting weighed heavily in our decision.”
I had to google headhouse – apparently it’s the station building, excluding tracks and platforms – but Amtrak’s objections seem to be partly platform-related?
Interesting choice of metaphor (torpedo is understood to be nautical by most people). “Derailed” would be more in keeping with the subject
@MilesT For Monday/Friday Reads, we sometimes adjust the headline slightly to more accurately reflect the contents, or relevance, of the link. Admittedly we missed this one. LBM