Pedestrian deaths and environmental concerns threaten Florida's high-speed train project

Two weeks after the launch of Brightline, a 'green' alternative, the project has been overtaken by controversies

It launched to a fanfare two weeks ago: the first privately funded US express passenger railway in decades, a new start for long delayed plans, and a "green" alternative to Florida's increasingly congested highways.

Yet for executives of Brightline, an ambitious $3bn venture that will eventually ferry travellers from the theme parks of Orlando to the beaches of Miami in just three hours, the champagne moment soon lost its fizz.