Brightline Says Freight Rail Suit Won’t Thwart Florida Project

A lawsuit by a freight railroad against Brightline, the private train operator, won’t derail a planned commuter rail project in South Florida, Brightline’s chief executive officer said in a Friday call with investors.

Florida East Coast Railway, which operates in the same corridor as Brightline, sued the passenger railroad in July, alleging the company and three counties were negotiating in secret and that existing infrastructure can’t support more passenger traffic.

The 85-mile (137-kilometer) “Coastal Link” commuter rail would run through Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties on the shared corridor. Brightline, which has the exclusive rights ...