All Aboard Florida to limit stops when rail service debuts

All Aboard Florida announced plans to restrict its initial passenger rail service to the tri-county area of South Florida as officials prepare to reveal downtown Fort Lauderdale station designs on Tuesday.

The company initially intended to launch full service from Miami to Orlando. But officials now say the trains would only run between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach when service begins in late 2016. All Aboard Florida plans to begin construction of the $30 million Fort Lauderdale station by summer’s end.

All Aboard Florida’s Fort Lauderdale station will be built north of Broward Boulevard near Northwest Second Street. Multiple groups are expressing concern that the train’s drawbridge would impede the flow of traffic in the city’s New River.

When service does begin, All Aboard Florida plans to run 16 daily trains each way from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., according to the Sun-Sentinel. Fares should range from $30 to $36 for a one-way ticket. [Sun-Sentinel] — Eric Kalis