Ohio's “Blocked Crossing Statute” prohibits stopped trains from blocking public roads for longer than five minutes, with certain exceptions.
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Trains have the right-of-way because they cannot quickly stop for a motorist at crossings or for trespassers on the tracks. The average freight train, traveling at 55 MPH, takes anywhere from 1 to 1½ miles to stop. Traveling at the same speed, the average automobile can stop in only 200 feet.
“There are times when mechanical and operational issues could also result in trains occupying a crossing for extended times,” the email continued, “and when trains stop for mandatory safety inspections or federally regulated crew changes.”
While high-speed rail can exceed 200 mph, speeds along main lines through Columbus can be 40-50 mph, depending on many factors, including train length.
Locate the blue Emergency Notification System (ENS) sign at the crossing to contact the railroad for emergencies. Use this form to report when a train is blocking a highway-rail grade crossing. Please report only once for each blocked crossing.
Sometimes, the trains can stop in the middle because of technical or mechanical problems with locomotives or picking or dropping off the freight cars at the industrial tracks. They can also stop in the middle because they are waiting for the section ahead of them to get clear of a train occupying it.
The Glacier Express is the world's slowest train, taking more than eight hours to travel between Zermatt and St. Moritz in Switzerland at an average of 18mph. Along the way, it passes over nearly 300 bridges, travels through 91 tunnels and takes in endless stunning Alpine views.
As far as I'm aware, there's no legal limit. Passenger trains do not normally exceed 12 cars (around 900 feet, dependent on rolling stock type), but many are much shorter than this.
Freight trains are getting longer and longer in the U.S., some stretching for two or three miles. These longer trains allow for more goods to move more efficiently, which lowers fuel use and costs for the railroads.