A WOMAN WAS STRUCK AND KILLED AFTER BEING STRUCK BY A BRIGHTLINE/VIRGIN TRAINS USA HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER RAIL TRAIN SATURDAY NIGHT. Investigators said the victim was a trespasser and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Read more... more
NEWS ABOUT ALL ABOARD FLORIDA
Published: Monday, July 29, 2019 - 10:15am
CONGRESS MEMBER BRIAN HIGGINS SENDS LETTER TO HOWARD ELLIOT OF THE U.S. DOT PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, requesting a 30-day extension of the comment period to the DOT's Draft Final Permit DOT-SP 20534. This special permit ... more
Published: Monday, July 22, 2019 - 10:00am
31-YEAR-OLD CLAYTON HUMPHRIES WAS STRUCK AND KILLED BY A TRAIN EARLY SUNDAY MORNING, the Fort Pierce Police Department reported. Humphries was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident is under investigation, police department... more
Published: Tuesday, July 16, 2019 - 11:15am
Train Wreck Times
By Susan Mehiel
Movement on LNG and a CALL TO ACTION!
WE'RE PLEASED TO REPORT we’ve made some headway on drawing attention to the issue of LNG streaming through our communities on the FECR tracks... more
Published: Monday, June 17, 2019 - 4:15pm
THE INDIAN RIVER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION FILED AN AMICUS BRIEF SUPPORTING INDIAN RIVER COUNTY'S APPEAL OF PABs for the privately-owned high-speed passenger rail project Virgin Trains USA, formerly Brightline.
The association argued that... more
Published: Monday, June 10, 2019 - 10:15am
Dear Mr. O’Rourke,
Per your letter below sent to a number of people on the Treasure and Space Coasts of Florida, I would like to take the opportunity to point out a number of issues.
Let’s start with some grim facts – 2 more... more
Published: Tuesday, May 28, 2019 - 9:45am
CHAIRMAN BOB SOLARI AND FELLOW BOARD COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SEND A LETTER TO FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S SECRETARY THIBAULT. Within the letter, Solari states he would like to address safety concerns related to the... more
Published: Friday, May 24, 2019 - 9:00am
VIRGIN TRAINS USA HAS SELECTED CONTRACTORS WHO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR DEVELOPING 170 MILES OF RAIL EXPANSION FOR PHASE 2 BETWEEN ORLANDO AND SOUTH FLORIDA. These contractors include Hubbard Construction Company, Wharton-Smith Inc., The Middlesex... more
Published: Monday, May 20, 2019 - 12:45pm
AN ANALYSIS HAS IDENTIFIED AT LEAST 76 DEATHS BY BRIGHTLINE (NOW VIRGIN TRAINS USA) PASSENGER AND FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY FREIGHT TRAINS SINCE 2015, by USA Today. Railroad administration data only shows 55 fatalities.
According to... more
Published: Thursday, May 16, 2019 - 10:30am
VIRGIN TRAINS USA'S PARENT COMPANY, FLORIDA EAST COAST INDUSTRIES, SELLS OFFICE PORTION OF ITS MIAMICENTRAL STATION FOR $159.4 MILLION. This includes the ground floor retail, two office buildings and parking space, property records show. Tenants... more
Published: Thursday, May 16, 2019 - 9:15am
THE $1.75 BILLION DOLLARS VIRGIN TRAINS USA (FORMERLY BRIGHTLINE) IN PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS INTENDED IMPROVE THEIR HIGH-SPEED RAIL TRAIN SAFETY HAS BEEN INVESTED IN NON-ESSENTIAL REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT. Clearly, safety is not their top... more
Published: Monday, May 13, 2019 - 9:00am
A WOMAN DIED AFTER BEING STRUCK BY A VIRGIN TRAINS USA TRAIN, FORMERLY BRIGHTLINE, SUNDAY MORNING, the Boynton Beach police said.
Published: Wednesday, May 8, 2019 - 9:00am
WITNESS SEES TRUCK STUCK ON TRACKS FOR AN HOUR. The car carrier was stuck on the 26th Street RR crossing in Vero Beach from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Fortunately, maintenance crews were able to successfully remove the truck before any train-... more
Published: Thursday, May 2, 2019 - 9:15am
ESTIMATED COSTS FOR THE CALIFORNIA HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECT INCREASED $2B TO A TOTAL OF $79B, according to a report by the High-Speed Rail Authority.
This project has been vehemently blasted by President Trump and other officials such as... more
Published: Monday, April 29, 2019 - 11:00am
How sad for Martin County residents that their commissioners can’t keep them safe since they took the train bribe. Eighteen people have been killed on the Florida East Coast Railway corridor by trains operated by Virgin Trains U.S. since... more
Published: Friday, April 26, 2019 - 11:15am
THE BRIGHTLINE/ FLORIDA EAST COAT RAILROAD CROSSING ARMS MALFUNCTIONED FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF ON THURSDAY MORNING, reports the WPTV. Fortunately, the crossing arms had malfunctioned in the down position - it could have malfunctioned in the... more
Published: Tuesday, April 23, 2019 - 9:15am
Train Wreck Times by Susan Mehiel
Excellent News and lots of Positive Exposure!We’re pleased to report we had major success in Brevard County recently. After talking to the Board of County Commissioners at their meeting at the... more
Published: Monday, April 15, 2019 - 9:00am
A PEDESTRIAN WAS STUCK BY VIRGIN TRAINS AND DIED NEAR THE TRACKS ON APRIL 12, the Broward Sheriff's Office confirmed. This just a week since the privately-owned railway company Brightline rebranded as Virgin Trains USA. The cause of death is... more
Published: Thursday, April 4, 2019 - 1:45pm
WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER CALIFORNIA BOONDOGGLE, states Florida Alliance for Safe Trains Coordinator and Communications Director Susan Mehiel in a recent Sunshine State News article. Susan is referring to the now-defunct California high-speed rail... more
Published: Thursday, April 4, 2019 - 9:00am
VIRGIN TRAINS USA RAISED $1.75 BILLION IN BOND SALE THIS WEEK. The Bond Buyer reported that the $1.75 billion was a portion of about $4 billion of orders that Virgin Trains received for the sale. These new bonds issues are to be used for the... more
Published: Friday, March 29, 2019 - 12:15pm
VIRGIN TRAINS USA WILL BE ISSUING $1.5 BILLION IN PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS TO BE PURCHASED NEXT WEEK. These bonds will pay for the 236-mile passenger rail line between Miami and Orlando, refund the $600 million of PABs issued in 2017 and more... more
Published: Friday, March 29, 2019 - 12:00pm
DESPITE CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS ABOUT HIGH-SPEED RAIL SAFETY, BRIGHTLINE CLAIMS IT IS "STILL ON TRACK." Advocates for rail safety such as the Florida Alliance for Safe Trains say the "high speed of the train and lack of physical barriers along... more
Published: Wednesday, March 27, 2019 - 11:30am
Call to ACTION!
17 are dead on the tracks and there are NO regulations to Make Them Safe when they come through the Treasure & Space Coasts!
Published: Monday, March 25, 2019 - 1:45pm
A DRIVER WAS HURT SUNDAY AFTER SLAMMING THEIR CAR INTO THE SIDE OF A PASSING TRI-RAIL TRAIN IN POMPANO BEACH, authorities said.
Spokeswoman Bonnie Arnold for Tri-Rail stated that no passengers on the train were hurt. The driver was... more
Published: Thursday, March 21, 2019 - 2:00pm
ONE PERSON HAS DIED IN A BRIGHTLINE TRAIN-CAR COLLISION WEDNESDAY NIGHT. ... more
Published: Tuesday, March 19, 2019 - 10:45am
Train Wreck Times by Susan Mehiel - New, Notes and Event
Here’s a list of upcoming events and we encourage you to join us!
TODAY - March 19, 9:00 AM
Martin County Board of County Commissioners meeting – We will speak... more
Published: Tuesday, March 5, 2019 - 10:00am
"THE ALL ABOARD FLORIDA/BRIGHTLINE/VIRGIN HIGH-SPEED RAIL VENTURE HAS BEEN A DEBACLE OF EVERY DIMENSION SINCE IT WAS FIRST PROPOSED FIVE YEARS AGO," Douglas Sweeny accurately states in an opinion article to the TC Palm. Sweeny highlights how... more
Published: Sunday, March 3, 2019 - 6:45pm
AT WEDNESDAY'S FDFC MEETING, DYLAN REINGOLD, INDIAN RIVER COUNTY'S ATTORNEY, WILL ARGUE BRIGHTLINE ISN'T A GOOD INVESTMENT RISK.
A Feb. 25 letter outlines Reingold’s objections to the FDFC approving the bonds. His objections include:... more
Published: Thursday, February 28, 2019 - 1:00pm
NEW GROUP FLORIDA ALLIANCE FOR SAFE TRAINS (FAST) TAKES A STAND TO FIGHT FOR HIGH-SPEED RAIL SAFETY. Their goal is to have high-speed passenger rail like Virgin Trains USA/Brightline to "operate as safely as possible without using taxpayer... more
Published: Thursday, February 28, 2019 - 12:15pm
CALL TO ACTION!!
THIS IS BIG! The Florida Development Finance Corporation decided to accept the county’s request to move their board meeting to approve the Private Activity Bonds to a closer venue – Orlando BUT, they also moved the date up... more
Published: Monday, February 25, 2019 - 2:00pm
The Train Wreck Times by Susan Mehiel
They’re at it again! Earlier his week we received word from IRC that the Florida Development Finance Corporation is reviewing ANOTHER Private Activity Bond Request from Virgin Trains in addition... more
Published: Monday, February 25, 2019 - 9:15am
FULL SPEED AHEAD, SAYS VIRGIN TRAIN USA SAYS (FORMERLY BRIGHTLINE) DESPITE FRESH CONCERNS WHETHER THE PROJECT WILL HAVE ENOUGH FUNDS TO PAY FOR ITS EXPANSION. According to financial documents, Virgin Trains USA is at an $82 million loss in... more
Published: Friday, February 22, 2019 - 9:45am
THE FLORIDA DEVELOPMENT FINANCE CORPORATION IS SET TO APPROVE $950 MILLION OF PABS UNDER THE TAX EQUITY AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT FOR BRIGHTLINE MARCH 11. If approved, Brightline will receive a collective of $2.7 billion.
Meanwhile,... more
Published: Tuesday, February 19, 2019 - 3:00pm
EVERY OTHER WEEK, WE RECEIVE NEWS THAT ANOTHER PEDESTRIAN HAS BEEN STRUCK AND KILLED BY TRAIN. Since the initial test runs for the Brightline (now named Virgin Trains USA) high-speed passenger rail service in January of 2017, 15 people have... more
Published: Wednesday, February 13, 2019 - 10:15am
As background, Indian River County has appealed Federal Judge Cooper’s decision in favor of Brightline at a cost of $400,000 to IRC. One of their claims is that the PABs are designed as highway bonds and not rail bonds. If the Judge’s... more
Published: Monday, February 11, 2019 - 11:15am
THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION MAY APPROVE A $3.7 BILLION RAILROAD REHABILITATION & IMPROVEMENT FINANCING (RRIF) LOAN TO VIRGIN TRAINS, owned by SoftBank Group based in Tokyo, to build a high-speed passenger train project on a freight rail... more
Published: Tuesday, January 29, 2019 - 12:30pm
THE MAN STRUCK BY TRAIN SATURDAY NIGHT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS CONOR J. SCHERLE, according to the West Palm Beach police. Scherle was struck at the intersection of Okeechobee and Quadrille boulevards at around 4 a.m.
Read more... more
Published: Thursday, January 24, 2019 - 4:15pm
OAKLAND PARK RESIDENT CARTER MCDONALD DIED AFTER BEING STRUCK BY A BRIGHTLINE TRAIN WEDNESDAY, the Miami Herald reports.
This is the second fatality this month and 12th involving a Brightline train since the trains began initial... more
Published: Friday, January 18, 2019 - 4:30pm
ANDRES ISRAEL RODRIGUEZ-OLIVA WAS STRUCK BY A BRIGHTLINE TRAIN NEW YEARS DAY, FELL INTO A CANAL AND DROWNED, authorities said.
The Brightine train video revealed that after being struck, Rodriguez-Oliva fell into the water.... more
Published: Thursday, January 17, 2019 - 4:45pm
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY HAS FILED ANOTHER LAWSUIT AGAINST VIRGIN TRAINS ON WEDNESDAY. This lawsuit argues that the county should not be enforced to pay for 21 crossing improvements along the Florida East Coast Railway corridor.
Prior to the... more
Published: Wednesday, January 2, 2019 - 9:45am
DASHCAM FOOTAGE REVEALS ILLINOIS POLICE OFFICERS' CLOSE CALL WITH A COMMUTER TRAIN. The footage shows Police Officer Peter Stanglewicz narrowly missing a train that barrels through the corridor. The gates didn't close and warning lights did... more
Published: Thursday, December 27, 2018 - 9:45am
TWO MEN WERE TRAPPED IN THEIR CAR AFTER COLLIDING WITH A BRIGHTLINE TRAIN WEDNESDAY NIGHT, officials said. The two had to be cut from their crumpled vehicle before being rushed to Broward Health Medical Center.
Ten people have died after... more
Published: Monday, December 24, 2018 - 10:45am
NEW DEVELOPMENTS ARE BEING MADE AFTER BRIGHTLINE BEING PURCHASED BY VIRGIN LAST MONTH, reports David Peter Alan of the Railway Age. These developments include an IPO for stock and a possible additional station near Disney World.
On... more
Published: Monday, December 24, 2018 - 10:15am
The Train Wreck Times by Susan Mehiel - Holiday Edition
WE HAVE MUCH TO CELEBRATE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON! Despite all of the so-called positive media they’ve drummed up and the votes by Martin County and CARE FL, AAF/Virgin is no closer to... more
Published: Thursday, December 20, 2018 - 10:00am
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMEN MAST AND POSEY POINT TO AN OCT. 31 REPORT as they press the Department of Transportation to stop the extension Brightline has requested to issue tax-exempt bonds. These bonds are needed to expand Brightline's second phase... more
Published: Friday, December 14, 2018 - 3:15pm
CONGRESSMEN ASK CHAO TO NOT EXTEND THE BRIGHTLINE DEADLINE FOR SELLING PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS.
We are pleased to report that a very important letter was sent to Transportation Secretary Chao yesterday. The attached letter makes... more
Published: Thursday, December 13, 2018 - 11:00am
BREAKING NEWS: OWNERS OF THE BRIGHTLINE HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER TRAIN HAVE REQUESTED MORE TIME TO ISSUE $1.15 BILLION OF BONDS, a federal agency said Wednesday. They currently have until Dec. 31 to issue said bonds to finance their second phase from... more
Published: Wednesday, December 5, 2018 - 2:00pm
A PICKUP TRUCK WAS STRUCK BY A BRIGHTLINE TRAIN WEDNESDAY MORNING in Lake Worth, Florida. Fortunately, the driver was able to escape before the impact.
More information to come.
Read more... more
Published: Tuesday, December 4, 2018 - 9:30am
THE MAN WHO WAS STRUCK AND KILLED BY A BRIGHTLINE HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, according to West Palm Beach, as Conor J. Scherle from Pennsylvania.
Scherle was stuck at 4 a.m. last Saturday. Police reports indicate a... more
Published: Wednesday, November 28, 2018 - 1:00pm
A MAN WAS STRUCK AND KILLED BY A TRI-RAIL SUNDAY MORNING NOV. 25 IN DANIA BEACH, authorities said. The cause of the crash has not been determined and the accident is still under investigation.
The Friday night prior,... more