Groundwork has begun for the construction of the $2.5 billion commuter train between Miami and Orlando.
In preparation for the project, 35,000 feet of new rail have been laid alongside existing freight train tracks at two sites in Palm Beach County, just west of Dixie Highway in Boca Raton.
In addition, parking lots that for years were crowded with vehicles next to the county government building and Metrorail elevated tracks in downtown Miami are now empty. This is because the lots have been closed pending the start of construction of the Miami station of the future train.
The closure of the parking lots and the delivery of the new rails in Boca Raton mark the first step in the preliminary construction of the future service that was announced in March 2012.