Published: Tuesday, January 2, 2018 - 10:45am
DESPITE BRIGHTLINE SERVICES BEGIN, OPPONENTS OF THE HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER TRAIN SUCH AS CARE FL SAY THEY ARE NOT GIVING UP. Chairman of Citizens Against Rail Expansion in Florida said, "If anything at all, this gives us more of a reason to fight... more
Published: Tuesday, December 26, 2017 - 6:15pm
We agree with Ms. Anderson's TCPalm Letter to the Editor; The horrid Amtrak tragedy has "Brightline" written all over it.
Ms. Anderson comments, "DuPont, WA fought to keep Amtrak out before the killer crash on Dec. 18. Officials... more
Published: Friday, December 22, 2017 - 12:45pm
AFTER THE FATAL AMTRAK TRAIN DERAILMENT IN WASHINGTON STATE, QUESTIONS REGARDING BRIGHTLINE'S HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER TRAINS SAFETY ARISE ONCE MORE. The Amtrak train in Washington derailed going 80 mph in a 30 mph zone. Brightline intends... more
Published: Tuesday, December 19, 2017 - 1:30pm
THE FLORIDA DEVELOPMENT FINANCE CORP CANCELED AN EMERGENCY MEETING MONDAY THAT HAD BEEN CALLED TO APPROVE $1.15 BILLION OF PRIVATE ACTIVITY BONDS FOR THE ALL ABOARD FLORIDA HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER TRAIN PROJECT.
"The meeting has been... more
Published: Tuesday, December 19, 2017 - 1:00pm
LATE MONDAY NIGHT, AN AMTRAK TRAIN JUMPED THE TRACKS AT A SPEED OF 30 MPH AND CAREENED INTO A BUSY HIGHWAY. At least three people were killed and 100 were injured, officials said. The train was bound from Seattle to Portland, OR, and was... more
Published: Friday, December 8, 2017 - 11:45am
BRIGHTLINE HAS RECEIVED A NON-INVESTMENT GRADE RATING ON $600 MILLION IN REVENUE BONDS THAT ARE TO BE ISSUED BY THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT FINANCE CORP. Fitch Ratings, which was hired by Brightline's owner All Aboard Florida to rate the bonds, rated... more
Published: Wednesday, December 6, 2017 - 10:00am
AFTER THREE YEARS SINCE ITS UNVEILING, IT IS BECOMING CLEAR THAT THE TEXAS CENTRAL PARTNER'S BULLET TRAIN IS NOT WHAT IT WAS THOUGHT TO BE. This ambitious project may have appeared phenomenal on paper, but the plans are riddled with errors,... more
Published: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 - 11:45am
FOUR TRAIN CARS CARRYING MOLTEN SULFUR DERAILED EARLY MONDAY NEAR LAKELAND, FLORIDA. Local residents have been warned to stay indoors and close their windows as several cars are believed to have leaked. CSX says no injuries have been reported,... more
Published: Monday, November 20, 2017 - 9:15am
Susan Mehiel's Train Wreck Times - An Update from the Front Lines in the War Against AAF
Well, in the past few months some things have changed and some remain the same. One of the best areas of this update is the AAF schedule... more
Published: Thursday, November 16, 2017 - 9:30am
THE FLORIDA SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE PASSED SENATE BILL 572 BY SENATOR DEBBIE MAYFIELD ON NOVEMBER 14. This bill establishes the Florida High Speed Passenger Rail Safety Act. Brent Hanlon, chairman of Citizens Against Rail Expansion in... more
Published: Tuesday, November 14, 2017 - 10:45am
ALTHOUGH BRIGHTLINE HAS NOT BEEN MADE AVAILABLE FOR COMMERCIAL USE, TWO INDIVIDUALS HAVE ALREADY BEEN KILLED BY THESE HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER TRAINS. Not a good start for a project that might eventually bring 32 daily passenger trains through the... more
Published: Monday, November 13, 2017 - 10:00am
STATE SENATOR DEBBIE MAYFIELD HAS REFILED THE FLORIDA HIGH-SPEED PASSENGER RAIL SAFETY ACT. This would provide the Florida Department of Transporation the authority to modify any high-speed passenger rail services in the state, as well as... more
Published: Friday, November 3, 2017 - 1:45pm
A WOMAN DIED SHORTLY AFTER BEING HIT BY A BRIGHTLINE TRAIN WEDNESDAY MORNING IN DEERFIELD BEACH, DEPUTIES SAID. Jennifer Reed, 35, died shortly before 7 a.m. after being hit by the northbound train on the tracks just east of Dixie Highway, south... more
Published: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 - 1:15pm
CARE FL HAVE EVIDENCE THAT HIGHLY COMBUSTIBLE HAZARDOUS MATERIAL, LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS, WOULD BE HAULED ALONGSIDE BRIGHTLINE PASSENGER TRAINS ALONG THE FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY TRACKS. This could pose serious safety hazards to those... more
Published: Thursday, October 26, 2017 - 10:15am
October 2017 Update
Citizens Against Rail Expansion in Florida (CARE FL) continues to actively pursue all appropriate legal, political and public communication channels to stop the ill-conceived All Aboard Florida (AAF)/Brightline... more
Published: Wednesday, October 25, 2017 - 11:15am
THE FLORIDA EAST COAST RAIL CORRIDOR WILL SHARE ITS HIGHLY POPULATED, CONGESTED ROUTE WITH 300 AT-GRADE CROSSINGS WITH ALL ABOARD FLORIDA'S (AAF) 110 MPH PASSENGER TRAIN WITH LIQUIFIED NATURAL GAS (LNG), according to... more
Published: Wednesday, October 18, 2017 - 9:15am
A BRIGHTLINE TRAIN DERAILED IN FEBRUARY AND WE ONLY RECENTLY LEARNED ABOUT THE ACCIDENT. On Monday, Citizens Against Rail Expansion (CARE FL) criticized All Aboard Florida (AAF) for not mentioning it during Florida Legislature testimony about... more
Published: Tuesday, October 17, 2017 - 9:15am
A BRIGHTLINE TEST TRAIN DERAILED IN WEST PALM BEACH, FL ON FEBRUARY 11 AND CAUSED OVER $400,000 IN DAMAGES, SAYS A REPORT FILED WITH THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION. According to the report, around $408,000 in damages were reported to... more
Published: Monday, October 16, 2017 - 9:45am
THE TERRORIST ATTACK IN BARCELONA LEAVES MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE DEAD AND HUNDREDS INJURED IN NICE, BERLIN, LONDON, STOCKHOLM AND OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY - all these related to an insidious article, written in the 2010 edition of the glossy al... more
Published: Thursday, August 10, 2017 - 10:00am
BRIGHTLINE PASSENGER TRAIN SERVICE WILL NOW DEBUT BY THE END OF 2017 RATHER THAN EARLY FALL, THE MIAMI HERALD REPORTED.
"Brightline looks forward to launching service between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach by the end of this... more
Published: Monday, August 7, 2017 - 7:00am
TREASURE COAST OFFICIALS SAID ON TUESDAY SAID A 2015 FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT IS OUTDATED AND A NEW ONE IS REQUIRED. Martin and Indian River counties and CARE FL sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation to mandate a supplemental... more
Published: Friday, August 4, 2017 - 3:15pm
HOPE LIVES FOR RESIDENTS ALONG THE TREASURE COAST - A NEW PROPOSED PROJECT WOULD RELOCATE 80% OF CURRENT FREIGHT TRAFFIC TO A NEW RAIL LINE TO THE WEST. This project would expand 72 miles of U.S. 27 to six lanes and add railroad tracks along the... more
Published: Thursday, August 3, 2017 - 12:45pm
THE BULLET TRAIN THAT MAY COME TO MIAMI SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED ITS SECOND PHASE OF TESTING, ACHIEVING HISTORIC TEST SPEEDS IN THE NEVADA DESERT. This incredible train travelled almost a distance of 500-meter (1640-foot) DevLoop track in the... more
Published: Thursday, August 3, 2017 - 10:15am
NEARLY THREE DOZEN CARS OF A CSX FREIGHT TRAIN CARRYING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS DERAILED IN A SMALL PENNSYLVANIA TOWN WEDNESDAY MORNING. Fires have ignited in some rail cars, set a residential garage on fire, and has forced emergency officials to... more
Published: Thursday, August 3, 2017 - 9:45am
ALL RESIDENTS OF SMALL TOWN HYNDMAN, PENNSYLVANIA WERE EVACUATED AFTER A CSX FREIGHT TRAIN CARRYING HAZARDOUS MATERIALS PARTLY DERAILED. The train derailed early Wednesday morning about 100 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
This train, which... more
Published: Monday, July 31, 2017 - 10:15am
IT'S LIKELY "SPECULATIVE START-UP VENTURE" ALL ABOARD FLORIDA WOULD DEFAULT ON A FEDERAL LOAN, TREASURE COAST RAIL OPPONENTS SAID MONDAY IN IT'S LETTER TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
This letter asked the DOT to carefully... more
Published: Thursday, July 27, 2017 - 10:00am
~County officials, local leaders call it an extremely risky project~
Treasure Coast Region, FL—Indian River and Martin Counties along with Citizens Against Rail Expansion in Florida (CARE FL) have sent a letter to the U.S. Department of... more
Published: Thursday, July 27, 2017 - 9:15am
COUPLED WITH CITIZENS AGAINST RAIL EXPANSION (CARE FL), INDIAN RIVER AND MARTIN, FLORIDA COUNTIES HAVE SENT A LETTER TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (USDOT) AND THE USDOT CREDIT COUNCIL ABOUT ALL ABOARD FLORIDA'S (AAF) HIGH-SPEED... more
Published: Tuesday, July 25, 2017 - 11:30am
CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS IN MASSACHUSETTS ARE ASKING THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION TO "CAREFULLY" EXAMINE A PROJECT THAT WOULD UPGRADE WIFI SERVICE ALONG THE MBTA'S COMMUTER RAIL SYSTEM. This project would mean the installation of hundreds... more
Published: Monday, July 17, 2017 - 9:30am
Well, a couple of things have come across the transom as of late and although we were taking a hiatus from publishing the TWT, we decided that periodic updates might not be a bad idea.
Here are a couple of items of note as we continue to... more
Published: Friday, July 14, 2017 - 9:45am
FLORIDA EAST COAST INDUSTRIES, PARENT COMPANY OF ALL ABOARD FLORIDA, HAS ANNOUNCED IT IS DEVELOPING TWO LUXURY HOUSING TOWERS ADJACENT TO AAF'S TRAIN STATIONS. Although these may be a significant revenue opportunity, we have to ask: how will it... more
Published: Thursday, July 13, 2017 - 10:30am
FEDERAL RAILROAD OFFICIALS ARE WITHDRAWING THEIR CONTROVERSIAL PLAN TO AUTHORIZE CONSTRUCTION OF A HIGH-SPEED INLAND RAIL LINE THROUGH SOUTHEASTER CONNECTICUT SHORELINE COMMUNITIES. This proposal was a 30-mile inland rail line stretch from Old... more
Published: Wednesday, July 12, 2017 - 12:00pm
CARE FL proudly stands by their mission to protect the safety, welfare and way of life for the families and businesses in and around their communities, despite what some slandering articles may say.
Brent Hanlon, chairman of Citizens... more
Published: Thursday, June 29, 2017 - 12:30pm
Documents confirm AAF is seeking a new Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing (RRIF) loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). AAF and DOT have done their best to prevent the public from knowing this, and it is the latest... more
Published: Thursday, June 29, 2017 - 9:45am
All Aboard Florida and its parent company, Florida East Coast Industries, inquired in recent months about obtaining a low-interest loan to finance Brightline's train service from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad... more
Published: Monday, June 26, 2017 - 10:15am
During a federal subcommittee hearing Thursday, U.S. Representative Brian Mast questioned former All Aboard Florida head Michael Reininger about the "challenges and opportunities" facing intercity passenger rail projects such as Brightline.... more
Published: Monday, June 26, 2017 - 10:00am
"AAF has claimed that it is a private enterprise. But the evidence does not support this claim." - Brent Hanlon
Tune into a statement by Brent Hanlon, Chairman of Citizens Against Rail Expansion (CARE FL) after the hearing with the U.S.... more
Published: Friday, June 23, 2017 - 10:45am
Treasure Coast's U.S. Representative Brian Mast and key railroad executive, Mike Reininger, behind AAF's Brightline high-speed passenger rail clashed in Congress yesterday with Mast contending the company is getting public tax dollar... more
Published: Monday, June 19, 2017 - 9:30am
The Martin Metropolitan Planning Organization paid consultant Jeffrey Weidner, vice president of Martin Engineering, $80,000 to study if the county should build a crossing on St. Lucie Avenue and a stairwell-and-ramp walkway near Railroad Avenue... more
Published: Thursday, June 8, 2017 - 8:30am
A proposal for digging a trench under the railroad tracks at Monterey Road and building an overpass over the tracks at Indian Street in Martin County would make those crossings safer for traffic but would come with hefty price tags.
This... more
Published: Tuesday, May 30, 2017 - 7:45pm
Brightline hasn't picked up a train passenger or even announced what fares will be when it does, but its former boss Mike Reininger says the train will "break-even or profit" during its first full year in operation.
Big talk for a company... more
Published: Thursday, May 25, 2017 - 9:00am
Another major piece to the MiamiCentral transportation hub is proposed airspace easement from the City of Miami. City commissioners have the item under consideration for a vote today.
This would authorize the city manager to execute an... more
Published: Thursday, May 25, 2017 - 9:00am
On Tuesday, All Aboard Florida's Brightline high-speed passenger rail company gave a tour of its West Palm Beach station with public officials, business leaders and media - heralding it the beginning of a new era of "mobility" in South Florida... more
Published: Tuesday, May 23, 2017 - 9:30am
The news on All Aboard Florida's Brightline lawsuits ignore the major danger, Stuart Robert A. Gibbons comments in this letter to the TC Palm. He comments that the major danger is if the latest safety equipment, including automatic braking... more
Published: Monday, May 22, 2017 - 9:30am
The formerly segregated community Overtown, Miami, once called "Colored Town," was full of renowned clubs, brightly colored churches, a thriving mix of Caribbean and African cultures that played itself out in city streets each day. That is, until... more
Published: Monday, May 22, 2017 - 9:30am
On May 10, 2017, U.S. District Court Judge Christopher Cooper dismissed the case filed in 2015 by Martin and Indian River Counties, after the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) withdrew the $1.75 billion Private Activity Bond (PAB)... more
Published: Monday, May 15, 2017 - 1:30pm
Two years ago, Martin and Indian River Counties filed federal lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to stop the inappropriate use of taxpayer subsidized bonds to construction All Aboard Florida's high-speed passenger rail... more
Published: Monday, May 15, 2017 - 12:45pm
In April, the fire chiefs of the Florida Treasure Coast sent a letter to the governor, concerned over the lack of training to prepare for materials transported across Florida East Coast's railways in the future.
Last Wednesday, they... more
Published: Friday, May 12, 2017 - 9:00am
U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper dismissed the case filed by Florida Treasure Coast Indian River and Martin Counties against the United States Department of Transportation and All Aboard Florida Wednesday night.
Originally... more
Published: Thursday, May 11, 2017 - 12:30pm
Yesterday, Federal Judge Christopher Cooper dismissed Martin and Indian River counties' lawsuits against the All Aboard Florida passenger railroad project. We'd like to thank our representatives of these counties for their hard work to protect... more