Higher-speed train safety on agenda of Florida officials

By TERRY SPENCER
Associated Press

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Officials from South Florida’s higher-speed railroad, other train lines and local governments are working out plans that they hope will decrease the number of fatal collisions between locomotives, cars and pedestrians. The Federal Railroad Administration called Wednesday’s meeting as Brightline and other Florida railroads have seen a rash of fatal accidents over the past four years. Brightline has had 58 deaths since it began operations in 2017, including three in the past 10 days. That gives it the nation’s worst fatality rate per mile. Other Florida railroads are not far behind. None of the deaths have been determined to be the fault of the railroads or their crews.