Marring the first day of its inaugural run from Miami to Orlando, a southbound Brightline train struck and killed a pedestrian in Delray Beach. This occurred around 6:15 on September 22nd, just minutes before the first northbound Miami to Orlando train left the Miami Brightline station. Although occurring on different tracks, the Brightline train accident delayed the northbound route for more than an hour. This accident marked the latest in a long string of fatalities associated with Brightline trains in South Florida. The number of deaths linked to Brightline trains in South Florida has reached nearly 100 since the service began six years ago. Unfortunately, this figure is likely to continue growing.
Brightline’s Checkered Safety Record
The September 22nd fatality was the sixth death attributed to a Brightline train accident in Palm Beach County this year. Four of the six deaths occurred in Delray Beach. Since beginning test runs in 2017, there have been 28 deaths involving Brightline trains in Palm Beach alone. An ongoing Associated Press investigation found 98 deadly Brightline train accidents in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties since 2017. Brightline provides a valuable service for those looking to travel between South and Central Florida. This value comes at a significant cost given the high number of deaths in only six short years.
