Highway-Rail Grade Crossing and
Trespasser Awareness Safety

Frequently Asked Questions

• An engineer's worst nightmare is hitting a school bus or other vehicle full of children. The second greatest fear for most engineers is hitting a tank truck full of gasoline or chemicals. In these types of crashes, the train crew is often killed or seriously injured as well as the truck driver and people near the crossing.

• First of all, trains are operated under rigid speed restrictions that are monitored very closely by the railroads and regulatory agencies. Most freight trains probably average a mile in length. If the train is traveling 50 to 60 MPH, it only takes about a minute to clear the crossing. At 30 MPH, it still only takes two minutes to clear. It only seems longer when you're in a hurry. Freight trains are made up that long because it's more efficient. A long train actually means there will be fewer trains to occupy the crossing.

• Trains cannot stop in time for motorists at crossings, or for trespassers on the tracks. The average freight train, traveling at 55 MPH, takes anywhere from a mile to a mile and a half to make a complete stop. The average automobile can stop in only 200 feet at that same speed. It's a simple matter of physics: the heavier the object, the longer the stopping distance. In addition, the contact surface between a train's steel wheels and the steel rails is only the size of a dime! That results in very little friction created when compared to an automobile with rubber tires on asphalt or concrete.

• The fastest method is to call the local police or 911. Tell them the location, generally the name of the road intersecting the tracks or the nearest town, and they will contact the railroad. The railroad dispatcher can reach the locomotive engineers by radio and they will do everything possible to get any approaching trains stopped in time. Don't try to flag down the train. Remember-----it can't stop quickly! Most engineers can effectively see about a half-mile ahead of their train. There's not enough time to stop by the time they see you flagging them down.

• Reflectors on rail cars quickly become ineffective because of dirt picked up by the rail cars when they're moving. Compliance and maintenance would be impractical because of the variations in sizes and shapes of rail cars combined with the fact that there are numerous owners of this equipment. People also drive into the sides of trains in broad daylight. Actually, about two-thirds of all collisions at crossings in the United States happen in the daylight hours.

• Call the local police, who will contact the railroad.

• If it is only flashing lights, you may proceed after coming to a complete stop, but only when you are sure the track or tracks are clear. If there are gates at the crossing and they are in the lowered position, you must not go around them, but drive to a different crossing. It is against the law to drive around lowered gates. It is possible that the signals are on because of the "fail-safe" design of railroad crossing signals and gates. If a wire shorts, for example, the warning system is activated. Battery power is also available when the regular power goes out to be sure the signals activate when a train approaches. Remember, when a signal system is activated, a train is almost always in the approach circuits, but may be blocked from view.

• Many times, drivers find themselves not paying attention or not expecting to see a train, especially at crossings they are very familiar with, because they never see a train there. These are the times when the locomotive horn may be the only warning that gets the driver's attention. Don't make the mistake of thinking a seldom-used track has been abandoned. The railroad can put a train there at any time!

• It depends upon who owns the land where the obstruction sits. It could be on the railroad right-of-way which would be the railroad's responsibility. It could be a private landowner, or it could also be government land. Contact the Wyoming Public Service Commission @ (307) 777-7427.

• Yes! It is against the law. It may only be a misdemeanor, but some drivers end up paying for it with the death penalty because they couldn't get off the tracks in time.

• No. It is trespassing. Railroad property is private property and access is strictly limited to railroad personnel and only those persons who have been granted permission from the railroad. People who trespass on the railroad right-of-way may think they'll be safe for various reasons, but the truth is more than 500 are killed each year in the United States and many others are critically injured. They either didn't expect a train, thought it would be on the other track, thought it was moving slower, thought it could stop for them, stood too close, or just didn't take the time to think about the dangers. In every case they were dead wrong! Don't let it happen to you. It's not worth the risk.