65 People Died While Trespassing on Railways In South Florida Last Year.
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — The agency that runs Tri-Rail is launching a new suicide prevention effort aimed at reducing the number of people killed or hurt while trespassing on South Florida railroad tracks. The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority has partnered with Henderson Behavioral Health on a regionwide initiative that combines public education with specialized training for the people who work along the tracks every day.
The program is backed by a $56,500 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration and will fund awareness campaigns along with training for SFRTA employees, contractors, and regional partners. The goal is to help frontline workers recognize the warning signs of someone in crisis and respond with both skill and compassion.
“Every life lost on our rail corridor is one too many,” said Marci Woodward, Palm Beach County vice mayor and SFRTA chair. “By working alongside Henderson Behavioral Health, we are taking a proactive, human-centered approach focused not only on prevention, but on providing hope, awareness, and intervention where it is needed.”
The numbers behind the effort are sobering. Florida ranked second in the nation for railroad trespassing casualties in 2025, with 65 fatalities and 70 injuries, according to FRA data. Within the South Florida Rail Corridor — shared by Tri-Rail, Amtrak, and CSXT — there were 12 trespasser strikes last year, nine of them fatal. The trend has not slowed in 2026: Tri-Rail has already logged 14 trespasser incidents, 10 of which were fatal.
“For more than 70 years, Henderson Behavioral Health has worked to meet people where they are and remove barriers to care,” said Dr. Steven Ronik, CEO of Henderson Behavioral Health. “It’s okay not to be okay — you don’t have to go through it alone. Support is here, and help is available.”
More information about the prevention program will be posted at www.tri-rail.com and on Tri-Rail social media channels.
