What does it mean when the train lights flash?

If the lights begin to flash or the bells begin to ring, STOP! A train is coming. You must yield to the train and remain stopped until the lights have stopped flashing and the gates have lifted. If there are multiple tracks, make sure the train you see isn't hiding another one you don't see.



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Red flashing lights and gates Some even have gates which cross the traffic lane. If the lights begin to flash or the bells begin to ring, STOP! A train is coming. You must yield to the train and remain stopped until the lights have stopped flashing and the gates have lifted.

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You can “slam on the brakes” in a train, but it will often take several minutes to come to a complete stop. If the crew sees a person on the tracks, obviously they will try to stop. However, in most cases, it is simply not physically possible to stop the train fast enough.

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Below are some safety tips everyone should keep in mind while near a train track: Red lights indicate a train is approaching from either direction. Never walk around or behind lowered gates at a crossing and do not cross the tracks until the lights have stopped flashing. Stay alert around railroad tracks.

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Fact #4: Trains Can Stop, But Not Quickly It takes the average freight train traveling at 55 mph more than a mile to stop. That's the length of 18 football fields.

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Look both ways down the track to see if a train is coming is one obvious solution. A train will sound it horn on the approach to any unmarked crossing, so listing for the train horn sounding is another way too. Why do fast train lines have platforms despite the trains on these lines never stop?

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Up until the 1980s, this system was also controlled by human operators. However, when computers started to become more commonplace, more automation was introduced. Nowadays, much of the rail signals are automated, and run thanks to a system called CBTC (Communications Based Train Control).

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If for no other reason, the horn can alert those folks to get to safety. either to alert people when they enter the tunnel(like MOW, or trespassers) or in some cases, to be friendly at kids(or railfans) at the tunnel entrance.

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At night, the air near the ground can have a different temperature than air only a few hundred feet above1. This affects the transmission of sound waves. There is usually less ambient noise after dark, so the distant train sounds louder. As pointed out elsewhere, maybe the trains don't use the horn in daytime.

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Answer #1: It's a wave of communicating between the train driver and workers on the tracks to acknowledge that the driver has seen them. Answer #2: For safety reasons – to make sure the horn is working before you leave the station.

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Flashing Red Lights — with or without bells Warns of an approaching train. When the red lights are flashing, a train is approaching. Stop and wait for the train to pass, then proceed when it is clearly safe to do so.

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By the time a train operator sees you, it is too late to stop the train in time. An oncoming train is moving faster and is closer to you than it appears. Similar to an airplane traveling at 150 mph that appears to float onto the runway, it's hard to determine a train's speed and distance from you.

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Fact #4: Trains Can Stop, But Not Quickly So if you think a train can see you and stop in time, think again. Trains cannot stop quickly enough to avoid a collision, which is why vehicles should never drive around lowered gates or try to “beat” a train.

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It has to do with the height and strength of a temperature inversion just above the ground. On clear, calm nights, it is cooler at the ground than higher up. When air warms with altitude a temperature inversion exists. Sound travels faster in warm air than it does in cool air.

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