From The Washington Post, By Freida Frisaro | AP
August 15, 2022 at 2:59 p.m. EDT
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Tracks used by the nation’s deadliest railroad will see added fencing to keep
Brightline Train going through an at-grade crossing in Broward County. September 2018
pedestrians away and safety improvements at crossings under a $25 million federal grant announced Monday.
Brightline and government officials announced the grant as the privately owned passenger line continues to be plagued by deaths along its tracks between Miami and West Palm Beach.
In the past two weeks, Brightline trains have killed three people, and 68 since the service began its first runs five years ago. That’s about one death for every 33,000 miles (53,000 kilometer) its trains travel, and is the worst fatality rate among the nation’s more than 800 railroads, according to an ongoing Associated Press analysis of Federal Railroad Administration data.
The grant, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program, will cover safety features, including 33 miles (53 kilometers) of fencing at locations of frequent trespassing along with extensive crossing improvements at all 333 crossings along the corridor, which will eventually stretch from Miami to Orlando, Brightline President Patrick Goddard said.
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Brightline Grant
Brightline Grant