Fact #2: Railroad Tracks Are Private PropertyWalking on train tracks may seem like fun, but it's actually very dangerous, not to mention illegal. All train tracks are private property, so pedestrians should never walk on or near them.
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Railroad tracks are private property, not public trails. It's illegal and dangerous to walk on or near tracks unless you're using a designated crossing.
What happens if you stand too close to a train? Air between person and the train moves with high velocity due to dragging effect and the air behind person is approximately still.
Wait until you can see clearly around the first train in both directions. Never walk around or behind lowered gates at a crossing. Do not cross the tracks until the lights have stopped flashing and it is safe to do so. You can be fined for failure to obey these signals.
Anyone else on the track or grounds of the railroad is trespassing. Even though you might think that you are safe, more than 1000 people are either killed or injured each year in the United States while trespassing on railroad tracks, yards and other railroad property.
Stay safe at station platformsDo not ride your bike, scooter, roller blades, or skates on the station platform. Allow passengers to exit the train before you board. Mind the gap between the platform and the train when boarding and exiting.
In one study conducted at the BNSF Railway Hobart Railyard in Los Angeles, the California Environmental Protection Agency estimated that residents living near a railyard experienced a higher risk of carcinogen exposure.
Trains have the right of way 100% of the time over pedestrians and vehicles, including police and emergency vehicles. Trains overhang tracks. Stay 15 feet back from the tracks. Always assume railroad tracks are in use, even if there are weeds or the track looks unused.
The middle of the train is by far the safest for persons. The National Transportation Safety Board does not release comprehensive data on where victims were sitting during fatal train accidents, though some details are available in individual investigative reports.
Some drivers out there believe that you should lift your feet up when crossing over railroad tracks. There are several motivations behind this, like if you don't you'll never get married, or die young, or lose the person you're in a relationship with.
It is illegal to access private railroad property anywhere other than a designated pedestrian or roadway crossing. Trespassers are most often pedestrians who walk across or along railroad tracks as a shortcut to another destination.
HOW SAFE ARE TRAINS? Trains are statistically much safer than driving. In 2020, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics recorded 40,867 total deaths from travel, including in planes, in cars on highways and on trains.
A train can extend three or more feet on either side of the steel rail, so the safe zone for pedestrians is well beyond three feet on either side. And when vehicles are stopped at a designated crossing, they should remain 15 feet or more from a rail.
Look both ways TWICE before crossing a railroad track. Never engage in a race with a train to cross the tracks. Keep a minimum distance of 15 feet from the tracks when stopped.
It's IllegalTrespassing onto railroad property, including tracks, bridges, buildings and signal towers, is illegal. Violators are subject to a citation for trespassing. Union Pacific will seek removal from publication any photograph or video that violates this policy.
Railroad tracks are private property, not public trails. It's illegal to walk on the tracks unless you're at a designated crossing. It's extremely dangerous to walk, run, or drive down the railroad tracks or even alongside them.
Keep Your Shoes On While Walking Through the TrainYou're allowed to walk about the train as often as you'd like. Just make sure to watch where you're walking onboard the train between cars. The safety plates often shift and pinch when the train is in motion.