Recently, a report released by the Florida Legislature’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability outlined safety concerns that are shared by multiple critics of the privately owned Brightline train service. Brightline, which will soon be rebranded as “Virgin Trains USA”, has been the center of controversy for some time; 10 people have been struck and killed by high-speed Brightline trains since testing began in 2017. Four of these fatalities occurred within just one week of Brightline’s rail service being opened for public use. This report also comes just as Brightline’s proposed Orlando-Tampa rail line undergoes the procurement process.  

One particular politician, Florida Senator Debbie Mayfield, has been an outspoken advocate for increasing the state’s oversight of Brightline. Before the release of this report, the state was not using its authority to regulate the high-speed rail company, which has deemed itself as the “nation’s first privately funded ‘intercity rail system.’”

The report included multiple rail safety recommendations for consideration moving forward, such as:

• Establishing a new committee under the Florida Department of Transportation that is designed specifically to oversee Florida railroad safety.
• Creating new regulations for high-speed rails like Brightline’s.
• Working with the Department of Health and Department of Children & Families to review suicide prevention efforts (over half of the ten deaths have been deemed suicides, including one man who refused to get off the tracks despite onlookers begging him to move).
• Harshening penalties and increasing enforcement of individuals who trespass on railroad tracks.
• Updating state laws on railroad crossings and corridors.
• Reviewing local and state-wide rail safety funding.

In response to this survey, Brightline released a statement insisting that safety was one of the top priorities for the company and that they were working with the federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to use additional funding for public awareness and educational train safety initiatives.

Even one preventable death is unacceptable, which makes it clear that updated safety features are necessary to prevent more tragic loss of life from occuring at the hands of Brightline. With that being said, only time will tell if Brightline’s claims about safety being a top priority are true and whether or not action will follow.