Federal rail official blasts All Aboard Florida’s safety... | www.mypalmbeachpost.com

Click title for link to article on the federal safety requirements for crossings for the All Aboard Florida fast train project. Standards for higher speed trains, this one will go 110 miles per hour north of West Palm Beach. The federal "guidelines" are much stricter than state guidelines. This is part of the broader process of assessing the impact of beginning such a passenger service on these tracks. From the article, Mr. Frey is a federal rail safety official:

“In my professional opinion, I respectfully disagree with the Project’s approach in that they are not exercising appropriate safety practices and reasonable care when designing for High Speed Passenger Rail service,” Frey said in a report dated March 20 and recently shared with local planning officials.

All Aboard Florida officials are aiming for a lower level of safety standards, he wrote. Florida Department of Transportation actually sets safety standards for the rail lines, and its requirements are lower than FRA’s 2009 highway-rail grade crossing guidelines for high-speed passenger rail.