The Federal Railroad Administration has confirmed that one of All Aboard Florida’s Brightline locomotives derailed earlier this year inside the company’s railyard. The February accident resulted in more than $400,000 in damage.
All Aboard Florida never made the incident public, though it did file a report with the Federal Railroad Administration on the day of the accident. Here’s what happened, according to a copy of the report obtained by Vero Beach 32963:
Brightline test train 26211 was heading into West Palm Beach’s repair facility following a signaling compatibility test. As it entered the railyard, axles 3 and 4 derailed. Both gearboxes were damaged. The unsigned report listed no definitive cause, but noted anomalies that may have contributed.
The report notes that the layout of the track “was not ideal” and as a result created what it termed a “very sharp effective track curvature at the pod.” It also laid blame on a switch point, which the report said “was new with very rough surfaces” that could create substantial friction.
Ten days later the stretch of track was straightened. The wheels on the locomotive were replaced, with the damaged unit sent to Siemens to be analyzed and repaired.
All Aboard Florida had several opportunities to make the mishap public and explain the corrective steps it took, but never did.
Less than two weeks after the derailment, Florida’s House of Representatives held a workshop on high-speed passenger rail. In attendance was Myles Tobin, general counsel for All Aboard Florida. He testified during the workshop, but made no mention of the derailment.
Another two-week span passed. On March 12, the Florida Senate’s Transportation Committee held a hearing on high speed rail safety legislation. Rusty Roberts, vice president of All Aboard Florida, testified against the legislation. He too was mum on the accident.
Casting some irony on the issue, on April 4 Michael Reininger, formerly All Aboard Florida’s president who had taken the executive vice president role for Florida East Coast Industries, penned an op-ed that ran in the Miami Herald. The headline read “All Aboard Florida goes the extra mile to address rail safety.”
