CT’s track ‘trespasser’ deaths increase in recent years
On Connecticut's tracks, trains have collided with 30 pedestrians and nine motor vehicles since 2017, with six pedestrians and one motor vehicle hit so far this year, according to a statement from the state Department of Transportation.
To help save lives, Operation Lifesaver for its 50th anniversary is working to reduce collisions at roadwayrail crossings and to eliminate pedestrian trespassing on or near tracks. The nonprofit organization launched a recent nationwide public awareness campaign to spread its message of railway safety, including several television ads airing in Connecticut.
Connecticut remains far from the state with the most rail collisions. Operation Lifesaver, which collects data on train-related collisions, found that Texas was the state with the most. In 2021, 247 train-related collisions occurred there, resulting in 57 injuries and 17 deaths, according to data.
The organization shares only the 15 highest collision rates, and Connecticut does not rank that high.
“It only shows the Top 15, but you can see Oklahoma, for example, had 45 collisions last year. In Connecticut, there have been 39 collisions since 2017,” state DOT spokesperson Josh Morgan said. “Fewer collisions are due to Connecticut's smaller size, but also a result of more railroad crossings equipped with warning and control devices, such as bells, flashing lights and gates.”
Two fatal railway accidents in Connecticut occurred earlier this month. A 38-year-old Newington man was struck and killed by a train near the Cos Cob station in Greenwich in the late afternoon on May 4, and just after midnight on May 5, a 54-year-old man from New Rochelle, N.Y., was hit and killed near the Stamford station.
On April 10, a MetroNorth train fatally struck a pedestrian on the tracks at the Greenwich station. Another man was fatally hit March 30 on the tracks east of the Fairfield Metro station.
In-state incidents
Fairfield County has the 11th highest number of railway casualties of all the nation's counties, according to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Rail Administration.
Railway deaths tracked by the Federal Rail Administration includes rail employees, passengers, contractors and “trespassers,” who are people on rail property without permission. When counting just trespassers, Fairfield County and New Haven County combined have seen 30 fatalities since 2013, according to the data.
The number of railroad deaths in Connecticut over all has decreased since 2013, but saw a bit of an uptick in 2021, according to the data. Also, the trespasser deaths have increased over recent years in the state, the data shows.
Metro-North Railroad saw more fluctuations, but the overall number of deaths involving Metro-North trains have decreased since 2013, according to the data.
Nationwide, however, railway deaths have been on a slow but steady decline in the past decade, according to the data.
Ad campaign
For its public awareness campaign, Operation Lifesaver is promoting three video ads that range from 15 to 60 seconds, highlighting rail safety for train passengers, pedestrians and drivers, according to the statement. The videos will begin airing in mid-June.
“While Operation Lifesaver has run radio ads in Connecticut in the past, this is the group's first TV advertising campaign,” Morgan said. “The ads are used nationally for various Operation Lifesaver groups, so the content is not specific to Connecticut.”
The ads encourage residents to take a railway safety pledge and reminds viewers of the ways to tell when a train is imminent, said Kevin Burns, Connecticut coordinator for Operation Lifesaver.
“Operation Lifesaver's goals with this ad campaign are to educate the public and increase awareness about the dangers of rail incidents and how quickly they can occur,” Burns said.
One ad tells viewers what to do if their vehicle becomes stuck on the tracks. It instructs viewers to get out of the vehicle and locate the blue and white Emergency Notification System sign with a number to report the incident.
“Remember, find the blue and white to save your life,” the video states. “If an ENS sign cannot be found at a train track crossing, drivers can dial 911.”