Grade Crossing Collisions and Trespassing incidents on Brightline Florida are down 30% year-over-year in Q1 2026
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced today that following the Trump Administration’s expedited deployment of a $25 million investment, trespassing incidents and train-vehicle collisions on Brightline Florida are down 30% year-over-year in Q1 2026. The funds, which the Biden Administration sat on for years, went towards modernizing infrastructure at railroad crossings to make communities safer for American families.
Improvements include:
- Upgrading 327 highway-rail grade crossings along 195 miles of the Brightline/Florida East Coast Railway corridor from Miami to Cocoa,
- Installing 33 miles of fencing, rail dynamic envelopes (RDE), roadway striping, delineators, crisis support indicators, and
- Deploying “Do Not Stop on Tracks” signage.
“This administration is delivering real results for the American people at the Speed of Trump. While the last administration sat on these critical resources, we acted quickly to deliver these dollars and enhance safety in Florida’s neighborhoods,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “We’re going to continue to partner with Brightline Florida and FDOT to cut trespassing incidents with new crossing technology and safety enhancements and expand this success nationwide.”
“Grade crossing collisions and pedestrian events are responsible for 96% of rail-related deaths in the U.S.,” said Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Administrator David Fink. “We are confident that these investments will help prevent further needless deaths and injuries due to grade crossing collisions and trespassing.”
Under Secretary Duffy, the FRA has invested a total of $42 million to get dirt moving on key rail safety projects along Brightline Florida’s rail corridor. As of June 5, 2026, the project has upgraded 173 of the 327 crossings (53%) and installed 116+ crisis support signs. FRA is working closely with all stakeholders on this project. These grants, the oldest of which was issued three years ago, are a part of the Biden-Buttigieg 3,200 grant backlog that the Secretary is moving to clear at the Speed of Trump.