View from a locomotive details dangerous habits near the tracks
A Busch Beer tractor-trailer on Tuesday morning could have caused a major accident with an oncoming locomotive when it stopped over two railroad tracks at the intersection of South Post Oak Road and U.S. 90.
The Union Pacific locomotive was roughly 50 yards away, but fortunately for the Busch truck driver, it wasn’t pulling any cargo. The locomotive also was traveling around 15 mph, allowing those inside to safely observe just how dangerous it can be for drivers to stop on railroad tracks.
Houston police pulled over the truck driver before the train arrived at the crossing. The heightened enforcement was part of Union Pacific’s National Rail Safety Week initiative to promote good railroad safety habits.
“Had the driver not gone, the train would have had to go into an emergency break application to not hit him,” said Union Pacific special agent Chris Cordary, who was inside the train with media members on Tuesday.
Cordary added that the driver may have received what amounts to a traffic citation for stopping on the tracks. He said those infractions, as well as driving around crossing arms, are among the most common mistakes drivers make at rail crossings.
As part of the heightened enforcement, Houston police issued 64 citations in a two-hour period Tuesday morning while monitoring the crossings along Highway 90 between Fondren and South Post Oak, according to Union Pacific spokesman Jeff Degraff.
Those violations can lead to fatal accidents like one Monday in Louisiana, where a 33-year-old man died after a freight train hit his pickup truck on the tracks, according to the Associated Press.
Also, last week an Amtrak train derailed after hitting a tractor-trailer sitting on the tracks at a crossing in Missouri City. No injuries were reported in that incident.
From January to June 2018, the Federal Railroad Administration recorded 400 accidents among the 74 railroads in Texas, leading to 20 fatalities. The FRA recorded 588 such incidents the previous year with 39 fatalities.
From inside the Union Pacific locomotive Tuesday, cars could be seen stopping directly under the crossing arms, forcing the driver to back up for the oncoming train. Other vehicles stopped on the tracks and attempted to quickly pull over to the side of traffic when the drivers noticed the train.
Cordary emphasized that all drivers should be certain whether they have enough space to cross railroad tracks at a traffic signal. Large tractor-trailers and school buses typically need to stop before they hit the tracks — even without a train in sight.
He said trains may travel up to 70 mph during cross country trips, and the engineers can apply breaks with varying amounts of pressure. But sometimes, depending on the weight of the cargo and the number of engines, that may not be enough, Cordary said.
He said the average train traveling at 55 mph takes about 1.5 miles to stop. The engineer may not be able to avoid an obstruction, even with a quick reaction time, he said.
“There are plenty of warning signs for a motorist approaching the railroad tracks,” he said. “Just get in that frame of mind to think about what you need to do to safely traverse those tracks.”
Cordary also said pedestrians on railroad tracks have been a growing problem in recent years. The tracks serve as a popular setting for wedding or graduation photos, but Cordary likened that trend to standing in the highway.
“You’re not going to stop in the middle of Highway 90 to have your wedding photos taken,” he said.
In addition to signage and warning sounds at railroad crossings, the locomotive comes equipped with bells and horns for pedestrians near the tracks.
Those help, but the real solution arises out of drivers’ and pedestrians’ general awareness, he said.
“Just pay attention to where you are,” he said.