Palm Beach Post: Tragedy on tracks, followed by frustration for Brightline passengers

By: Jeff Ostrowski, Palm Beach Post

Jeffrey Aranofsky was aboard a southbound Brightline train with plenty of time to catch his flight from Fort Lauderdale’s airport. Then a man jumped in front of the speeding locomotive in Boynton Beach.

What came next was a scenario that has grown frustratingly familiar to passengers aboard Tri-Rail and Brightline trains: If a pedestrian, cyclist or motorist is struck after venturing onto the tracks, the railway becomes a crime scene — and a stress-free commute turns into gridlock that can leave passengers stranded for an hour or longer.

Aranofsky missed his flight on Friday, but he says he’ll continue to take Brightline from his home in downtown West Palm Beach to his job as a flight attendant.

“There’s so many accidents on a daily basis on Interstate 95, so much drama, that it’s worth it to me,” Aranofsky said. “Most of the time, the train is great.”

While South Florida’s commuter trains typically arrive at their destinations without incident, suicides and other mishaps disrupt the no-hassle travel touted by the rail services. When weighing driving against taking the train, commuters must calculate the odds that they’ll reach their destinations on time…