DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Brightline has long been the center of safety concerns since launching service from West Palm Beach to Miami in 2018.
The high-speed rail company has received millions of dollars in safety grants to improve its infrastructure. However, collisions involving pedestrians and vehicles continue to happen.
This weekend's collision between a Brightline train and a Delray Beach fire truck continues to raise concerns.
"It's scary to have a train that quick," resident Myles Clemons said.
"[It] frightens you for riding it, and not sure what's to come there," frequent rider Ela Lasic said.
Data uncovered by WPTV reporter Kate Hussey from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) showed that 125 people died in Brightline incidents since the train launched service, giving the high-speed rail system the highest death rate of any other train in the nation.
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Brightline train service has highest US death rate
However, as Brightline will tell you, none of those deaths have been Brightline's fault.
So why is it so deadly?
"This has been an issue in South Florida for the past 40 or 50 years," Jim Kovalsky, president of the Florida East Coast Railway Society, said.
Kovalsky, who is also trained in railroad safety by the national nonprofit Operation Lifesaver, is also a retired firefighter.
He shared his perspective on the recent crash with the Delray Beach firetruck.
Video released by Brightline shows the firetruck on the tracks with at least one crossing arm down.
"Even emergency vehicles do not have right of way over a train, so until the gates have returned to their full, upright position, that road is legally closed," Kovalsky said.
Kovalsky believes South Florida's congestion shares a big part of the blame for Brightline's lethal reputation, and said along with Chicago, has been known for having a higher percentage of railroad fatalities.
"Because of the density of population and crossings," Kovalsky said. "As traffic has gotten worse now, people don't understand that you don't stop on the railroad tracks."
According to FRA data, Brightline deaths increased by 178% in 2024 compared to 2023, and so far this past year, Brightline deaths accounted for 39 of the 79 deaths on Florida railways. That's almost 50%.
However, Brightline and the FRA point out, the vast majority of those deaths involved trespassers, or "highway rail incidents" — in other words an impact between a train and a car.
"You'll find nationally that's what's going to happen," Kovalsky said. "If you don't put yourself between those two steel rails, you're not going to get hit by a train."
WPTV reached out to Brightline for comment. The company didn't say why it has been involved in more deaths than other trains but did release the following statement to WPTV:
"Brightline continues to emphasize rail safety with bell and rail partners."
