Thirteen days is too long for Tri-Rail to be out of service after a hurricane, its leaders said Monday, agreeing to develop a plan for a quicker recovery after the next storm hits South Florida.
Hurricane Wilma caused an estimated $4 million in damage to stations, offices and other facilities, said Joe Giulietti, executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. Wilma left transmission lines hanging over the tracks, debris strewn over much of the 71-mile Mangonia Park-to-Miami corridor and knocked out power at all 17 stations and more than 70 crossings.
When service did resume, 67 generators were still being used to run seven stations and several crossings.
"We have to come up with new ways to restore service faster," Giulietti said.
The RTA is working with the state's Department of Transportation and Emergency Operations Center to move the rail corridor higher on Florida Power & Light's priority list. One alternative is to create a separate power grid for the rail line.
Besides the loss of power, the storm destroyed warning signals and the support structures for the safety gates at many crossings. Roofs were ripped off or damaged at the customer service, mechanical and revenue offices.
After a few days, businesses began to reopen, but some employees who use the commuter rail had no way of getting to work.
The damage also prevented freight trains from bringing in needed relief supplies. It took 13 hours for a CSX Transportation freight train to move through the tri-county area, stopping at every crossing along the way.
The first train through was carrying chlorine for area water treatment plants. Transporting potentially dangerous chemicals on an unsafe corridor is simply not an option, RTA Chairman Jeff Koons said.
"We need to find ways to improve the situation altogether," RTA member George Morgan said.
The RTA intends to seek relief from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the damages, but it cannot get paid for about $220,000 in lost passenger fares.
"We've got to do something before next hurricane season," RTA member Jim Scott said.
