As few times as I ride tri rail I had that experience. A car was hit so we had to route around the accident on busses. Normally I prefer tri rail to the nightmare that is I95 for getting down to Miami.
Brightline grade crossing incidents
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rookzie
Train Attendant
Nº1 Nº2 Nº3 Nº4Each of these responses factor into the equation of Brightline incidents at level (grade) crossings. They also have occurred at locations not at crossings, often due to inattentiveness of pedestrians who shortcut with headphones and ear-buds. This has happened several times in less than 3 years along tracks in middle Tennessee, including the route of the modest (if not measly) offerings of Nashville's WeGo Star commuter train, which also has claimed at least one probable suicide. It has been reported that accounts of probable suicides have been frequent in the Northeast as well, such as with NJTransit, but many of those have occurred on grade-separated tracks ─ more common in the Northeast than in Florida.
Along the subject Florida route segments, which pass through almost contiguous populated areas, the number of crossings (particularly with east-west roadways) per mile is rather high (comparatively speaking), and historically mainline tracks typically have been paralleled by main thoroughfares of US and state highway routes. In Florida's situation with Brightline in particular, not only does the number of crossings per mile for a swiftly moving passenger train come into play, but that leads to another closely related metric ─ the "number of crossings per minute". Specifically, the "Time-Rate" of traversing level (grade) crossings (and any other potential point of incident) translates into a higher probability of impact incidents.
That said, train speed has an intensifying effect, by reduction of response time intervals. In turn, the number of concurrently running Brightline trains becomes a multiplier within the equation. So, statistical counts just have to increase accordingly and significantly.
Qapla
Engineer
Quite a number of cities have red lights at intersections closer than "every 6 or 7 city blocks" and yet most people deal with it without running the lights. And when someone does run a light and t-bones someone, we don't blame the driver of the car with the green light.
Why should we blame the rain for car driver's inpatient's?
Likewise, no one seems to be advocating all intersections be converted to non-ground-level intersections
Why should we blame the rain for car driver's inpatient's?
Likewise, no one seems to be advocating all intersections be converted to non-ground-level intersections
rookzie
Train Attendant
Most of coastal Florida has an elevation of less than 5 meters above sea level — just over 16 feet. While other regions may or may not have grade separated right-of-way (Mid-Atlantic, for example), it would be cost-prohibitive to construct RR underpasses for all or most of those existing level crossings without elevating the existing rail lines to boot.
Closing even some of those crossings could and probably would only add to surface roadway congestion, just as what urban expressways have done since the mid-20th century. Sloping new underpasses at those crossings not only requires provisions for pump-extraction of storm water (as done in Norfolk, Va. at Hampton, Tidewater, and Va. Beach boulevards), but it also would require condemning or partial truncation of many existing properties adjacent to the crossings, in order to safely accommodate the lowering of roadways. Lowering the railroad right-of-way itself — similar to what Reno, NV did — would be too risky for the railroad in such a region.
Perhaps the most topographically feasible alternative would be to build an elevated right-of-way alongside the existing one, but that too would require land acquisition against far too much pushback. It might be feasible to elevate a new rail support structure above the existing tracks without being too disruptive and destructive. That too would be very costly, but that option also might be one of the few possibly tenable ones.
Unlike with segments of the new extension to Orlando, level crossings on the existing runs were inherited from a distant (erstwhile) period. That said, grade separation is the only form of ensuring interference-free operation of higher-speed trains, especially in such a densely intersected region.
Metra Electric Rider
Conductor
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The entire ROW could be decked or viaducted (if that is even a word) and the space underneath used as a linear park, retail or other usable space and eliminate the grade crossings. How much that would cost? Bazillions no doubt.
Caltrain is not far behind brightline. Capitol Corridor I believe has the worst record for intercity trains in California.
there are places where every street for 1-2 miles crosses. Closing 1/2 of them would be good but that takes local gov, state DOT and the railroad wanting to do something and accept the likely community backlash
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This one somehow got himself stuck under a CSX train and lived.....wow
wsvn.com
Man hospitalized after becoming trapped underneath a train in Doral
DORAL, FLA. (WSVN) - First responders and two surgeons worked diligently to remove a man who became stuck under a CSX train in Doral, Tuesday.The...
wsvn.com
west point
Engineer
Tri rail had the fortune that many auto grade crossings were eliminated with the I-95 various rebuildings. Cross roads crossings were either eliminated or had flyovers of both I-95 and the Tri rail tracks.
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But then you would have the “NIMBY’s” objecting to an “unsightly” elevated structure spoiling their view. In places like NYC, Boston, and San Francisco, and possibly others, they have torn down elevated highways and railways for that reason…
But the elevated LIRR South Shore Line to Babylon appears to carry on regardless and no one seems to mind it. It all depends on how it is done and how the politics works out. LIRR also has extended elevated segments of the Main Line through Hicksville. And of course the entire NEC through NJ is an elevated grade separated railroad, but I suppose it was elevated long before NIMBYs.
Speaking of tunneling, one of the alternatives for the New River Bridge replacement in Fort Lauderdale is a tunnel. Of course nothing other than cost prevent the line from being placed in a tunnel at critical places either. There are many examples of tunnels through muck. Witness the Hudson River tunnels in New York. They even rise and fall a bit with the tide!
Metra Electric Rider
Conductor
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My comment was meant to be rather tongue in cheek (not moi!!!). We have a lot of viaducts from the early 20th C in Chicago and some are pretty horrible - the street crossings at the yards which were raised are looong in places and horrible for pedestrians. And flood a lot. But most of the highways that have come down were built on prime sites and were extremely wide - like the examples in SF, Boston and NYC. A four track RR ROW wouldn't be too bad, especially when built at a height that doesn't feel constrained underneath and with a wide structure. Now whether it would be built, don't see that happening anytime soon.
I am not sure a four track structure is needed for frequent passenger traffic in Florida. Even the Babylon Line of LIRR is a two track structure which probably carries one of the heaviest commuter traffic in the US. Creating elevated structures for heavy freight trains is a different kettle of fish altogether.
Yeah, I'd guess that one of the busiest rail spots in Florida is NW 8th St and NW 1st Ave in Miami, where we have the two Metrorail tracks (viaduct), three station tracks at Miami Central (Brightline, grade separated on a ramp), and a freight track to the port. The Metrorail for sure needs to be separated (runs every few minutes during rush hour), we're in this thread because Brightline needs to be, but the freight is fine for their frequencies (I think I've seen a train on it three times?)
