Miami is considering building a train from the Miami International Airport (MIA) to PortMiami to help with the frustrating traffic problems.
Miami-Dade County officials are reviewing recommendations for a non-stop train between the two popular transportation hubs, a spokesperson for the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization confirmed.
According to the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (MDTPO) 2050 Master Plan, published in September 2025, a train line could address the need for "safe, convenient, efficient, fast, and reliable connection" from MIA to PortMiami.
The cruise terminal, which is one of the busiest in the world, experiences heavy congestion, especially on peak travel days. In fact, Royal Caribbean Blog previously reported that Royal Caribbean was offering complimentary bus transfers from PortMiami to MIA and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL).
The project would not be cheap, though, with the report claiming that the new rail line could cost anywhere from $600 million to $800 million for capital expenses. Additionally, it would cost between $9 million and $15 million to annually operate.
PortMiami currently has a freight train bridge, but adding a passenger rail line would require an alternative. The initial report included eight public transportation solutions. However, according to a recent CBS News article, the MDTPO is now only considering two.
The first is a 9-mile extension of the MetroMover people mover track, which could use either the existing Port Bridge or the Miami River Bridge. The downside to this option is that the MetroMover cars have a limited capacity of 50 people and an average speed of 9 miles per hour (mph).
A higher-capacity alternative would involve expanding the Metrorail system, requiring the construction of approximately 10 miles of new track. This option would also require building a new bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway.
Read more: Best Ways to Get From the Miami Airport to Cruise Port
The Miami cruise port is busier than ever
PortMiami set passenger records for fiscal year 2025, which ran from Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025, Miami officials said. This reflects higher cruise demand than ever.
The Miami cruise port welcomed 8,564,225 cruise passengers, which is a 4.02% increase in cruise passenger totals compared with 2024's record of 8,233,056.
This isn't a huge surprise, though, as Miami is home to some of the world's newest and largest cruise ships — think Icon of the Seas, MSC World America, and Carnival Celebration.
These vessels offer weeklong cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean. However, there are many ships that have quick turnaround times, sailing 3- and 4-night getaways to The Bahamas.
As such, it's not uncommon to see upward of seven or eight ships in port at the same time, meaning thousands of guests are simultaneously trying to disembark and embark.
For example, on March 1, 2026, eight ships were docked at PortMiami, according to Cruise Mapper: Symphony of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Brilliant Lady, Norwegian Aqua, MSC Divina, Celebrity Beyond, Carnival Magic, and Carnival Celebration.
The sheer number of vessels in port often translates into gridlock, with many reporting sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic for extended periods.
"Went out of Port of Miami on a Sunday in January. Massive traffic. I am no longer taking any cruises departing from Miami," wrote one Redditor.
Another added, "I [spent] 4 hours in... traffic chaos yesterday, February 22nd, 2026. Traffic was not moving at all and all the [U-turns] were closed obligating everybody to go to the end of the road to make a turn and create traffic on other cruises you didn't need to go by."
"People were walking through the highway in a hot and sunny day carrying kids [and] luggage 🧳 over barricades to be able to cross the bridge. I still can not find a valid reason for what... happened there yesterday. Total embarrassment for the port and the city."
"We cruised out of Miami for the first time earlier this month, and getting in and out of PortMiami was way more chaotic than we expected. For embarkation, six ships were sailing that day. Our hotel was less than a mile away, so the ride itself was quick, but traffic around the port was completely gridlocked," said someone else.
"Our Uber driver couldn’t reach the designated drop-off area and ended up pulling into what looked like a parking garage entrance and stopping in the driveway. He pointed us toward an alternate way to walk to the terminal."
Read more: Royal Caribbean breaks ground on new Miami cruise terminal
