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What is the deadliest train in the United States?

Why Is Brightline the Deadliest Train in America? In total, more than 68 lives have been lost to Brightline train accidents.



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The Great Train Wreck of 1918. On July 9, 1918, two passenger trains collided head-on in Nashville, Tennessee. Today, it remains the worst railroad accident in United States history. The amount of lives that the crash claimed varies based on what source is used.

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The 2004 Sri Lanka tsunami train wreck is the deadliest recorded train disaster in history, claiming the lives of at least 1,700 people. The incident was the result of a devastating tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which caused severe destruction to railway infrastructure.

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At least 88 deaths have now been connected to Brightline, Florida's privately owned passenger railroad, since it began operations in July 2017, running from West Palm Beach to Miami.

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(Based on Preliminary 2022 Federal Railroad Administration Statistics)
  • Texas. 241. ...
  • California. 172. ...
  • Illinois. 148. ...
  • Florida. 117. ...
  • Indiana. 101. ...
  • Georgia. ...
  • Louisiana. ...
  • Alabama.


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Amtrak's worst wreck in terms of deaths was the Sept. 22, 1993, derailment outside Mobile, Alabama, when the Sunset Limited plunged off a bridge and caught fire in the pre-dawn hours. Forty-seven passengers and crew were killed and 103 injured in what became known as the Big Bayou Canot rail accident.

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The most common mistakes they see are drivers stopping on the tracks, trying to go around barriers, or ignoring the warnings altogether. Drivers need to be aware as they approach a grade crossing that even if the gates are in the upright position, they need to have enough room to clear that grade crossing.

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None of the deaths involving Brightline have been found to be the railroad's fault. Most have been suicides, pedestrians who tried to run across the tracks ahead of a train, or drivers who maneuvered around crossing gates rather than wait.

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10 Most Dangerous Train Routes in the World
  • Aso Minami Route, Japan.
  • Georgetown Loop Railroad, Colorado, USA.
  • White Pass and Yukon Route, Alaska, USA.
  • Tren a las Nubes, Argentina.
  • Kuranda Scenic Railroad, Australia.
  • Devil's Nose Train, Ecuador.
  • The Death Railway, Thailand.
  • Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe Train, South Africa.


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1650. England – Whickham, County Durham. Two boys die when they are run over by a wagon on a wooden coal train way. While such tramway accidents are not generally listed as rail accidents (note the lack of accidents listed for the next 163 years) this is sometimes cited as the earliest-known railway accident.

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The Malbone Street wreck remains the deadliest crash in the New York City Subway's history, as well as one of the worst rapid transit crashes in the history of the United States. The reported death toll ranged from 93 to 102, with about 250 injuries.

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During the post-World War II boom many railroads were driven out of business due to competition from airlines and Interstate highways. The rise of the automobile led to the end of passenger train service on most railroads.

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While they miraculously walked away with minor injuries, others haven't been as fortunate in recent years. Dubbed the deadliest train per mile in America by the Associated Press, Brightline has killed dozens of people across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties in the years since its 2017 debut.

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Why Did Disney Back Out of the Deal? A Disney spokesperson told the Orlando Business Journal that Disney was going to step away from the project because the updated plans for the train's route did not actually include a stop on Disney property.

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Once carrying passengers, Brightline trains will travel at maximum speeds of 125mph which is more than two miles per minute. Patrick Goddard, President of Brightline, said: “Reaching 130mph isn't just another milestone to our team, but the continuation of a dream that we've been working towards for several years.

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Brightline trains have the highest death rate in the U.S., fatally striking 98 people since Miami-West Palm operations began — about one death for every 32,000 miles its trains travel, according to an ongoing Associated Press analysis using data since 2019.

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The first train operated by the new company is a Clocker that departs New York City for Philadelphia shortly after midnight. May 10 – Trains 68/69, later known as the Lake Shore (New York-Chicago), became the first service added to the Amtrak Basic System.

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