Amtrak Train Hits Truck En Route To KUA Plant

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KISSIMMEE, Fla., November 20, 9:00 am — History repeated itself on Friday afternoon when a train collided with a truck at the entrance to Kissimmee Utility Authority’s (KUA) Cane Island Power Park in western Osceola county.

The truck was entering the power plant site when it was struck by a southbound Amtrak passenger train bound for Miami. The truck was delivering boiler piping for a third generating unit currently under construction at the site.

Thankfully, only minor injuries were reported and the piping itself was not damaged. The hauling truck was destroyed and both the train and track received substantial damage from the collision. The accident is not expected to impact the planned startup of the $136 million generating unit in June 2001.

A similar accident occurred at the same railroad crossing back on November 30, 1993 when an Amtrak passenger train collided with a truck hauling an 82-ton, $10.5 million gas turbine to the Cane Island site.

KUA is Florida‘s 7th largest municipally-owned utility serving 53,000 electric, water and internet customers in five Central Florida counties. KUA will be celebrating its 100th year of serving the community in 2001.

Contact: Chris M. Gent, Manager of Communications
(407) 933-7777, ext. 1116
[email protected]