Killer Train
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Killer Train
Brightline is the deadliest major passenger railroad in the United States. An investigation by the Miami Herald and WLRN reveals the shocking toll and the failures that led to it.
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Killer Train
Florida’s Brightline train has been hailed as a model for the future of fast-speed passenger rail in the United States. But a joint investigation by the Miami Herald and WLRN has found that the privately owned train remains the deadliest in the nation.
More than 180 people have been killed by Brightline trains in Florida since 2017 — significantly more than publicly known. Reporters spent a year combing federal rail data, local medical examiner records and police incident reports to count the dead. Brightline officials did not dispute the finding.
The reporting team found that Brightline has failed to urgently address the train’s dangers; blamed victims for the high death rate; and turned to the public to pay for safety upgrades as fatalities climbed. Even then, critical life-saving measures, including fencing along the tracks and suicide-crisis signs, haven’t been installed due to delays in the release of federal funds.
The company says it has been “a leader in the industry on safety initiatives related to education, enforcement and engineering.” But deaths continue. Last year, after Brightline extended service to Orlando, 49 people died by the train, the highest yearly number yet.
This story was originally published July 15, 2025 at 5:05 AM.
