SA国际传

The 2026 Pulitzer Prizes recognized the Miami Herald and SA国际传谋 journalists as finalists in the Local Reporting category for their joint investigation into the systemic failures that made Florida鈥檚 Brightline the deadliest major passenger train in the nation.

The project is one of only 30 entries selected from a pool of over 100 high-stakes submissions evaluated for their impact on U.S. public policy and government accountability.

Today, the Miami Herald and SA国际传谋 publish a memorial list of the 196 people struck and killed by Brightline trains in Florida since 2017 鈥� to honor their lives, raise awareness about the deadly Brightline corridor and spark conversations about how public safety can be improved.

Florida鈥檚 new rules for rail crossings take effect Jan. 1, aimed at reducing the number of drivers and pedestrians killed by trains. But they won鈥檛 lead to wholesale change along the deadly Brightline corridor, where 195 people have been killed 鈥� the rules are for new projects. Here is a look at the safety solutions experts say could be most effective.

Since Brightline launched in 2018, its trains have hit 174 vehicles, killing 25 people and injuring 63 more, an investigation by SA国际传谋 and the Miami Herald found. Another 104 people survived without injuries, some by fleeing their cars before impact. 鈥淲ounds on your body disappear slowly over time,鈥� one survivor said. 鈥淏ut wounds on the inside? Those you keep.鈥�

A lawsuit that threatens the multi-county coastal link transit project is on ice for now, and elected leaders are pushing ahead with Brightline negotiations.

The private company that promised to be 鈥渇inancially viable on its own鈥� is losing money 鈥� and using government subsidies to grow its business. Read the latest installment in the SA国际传谋 / Miami Herald series Killer Train.

Brightline train crews confront violent deaths on a regular basis. Their experiences, their suffering, are part of the long debris trail of the nation鈥檚 deadliest major passenger rail system. 鈥淲hat鈥檚 your body count?鈥� someone asked the conductor on Instagram. 鈥�16,鈥� he responded, like he was providing his shirt size.

Episode 4 of the SA国际传谋 News and Miami Herald podcast 'Killer Train' explores the long history of safety issues on train tracks in South Florida.

The Trump administration on Monday announced it is committing $42 million to address safety concerns along the Brightline route, as officials respond to the train鈥檚 record as the deadliest major passenger railroad in the nation.

Brightline's rail partner has sued the company in circuit court, threatening to end plans for expanded commuter rail services in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach.

Brightline trains have killed more than 180 people, an investigation by SA国际传谋 and the Miami Herald has found. In the third episode of the Killer Train podcast, hear the stories of three people who lost their lives on the tracks, in the words of the loved ones they left behind.