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Train Safety Tips
From TipThePlanet
- There are very few things in this world that can enrich your life more than travel. But whether you travel the world, take a cruise, or just drive around your nearby neighborhood, dangerous situations can pop up when you least expect them to.
- If a vacation or other trip is in your future, you need to know about the dangers and how best to handle them especially with children.
- Parents need to talk to their children about safety before heading out to a train trip, making sure they understand the dangers.
Safety tips to keep in mind for children and adults riding the rails:
- Keep well back on train platforms and keep children close, especially toddlers.
- When embarking, disembarking and walking beside the train keep hands and feet away from underneath the train.
- Never let children near the train wheels. The Train can move at any time.
- Never cross the rails or play on the rails. Teach children never to play on rail lines at any time or go on rail bridges.
- Never cross in front of a train.
- Teach children not to play with any emergency braking systems.
- Children should not play or touch any exterior doors or emergency windows.
- Use caution when embarking and disembarking. Take advantage of the assistance offered by Service Attendants.
- When travelling between cars, teach children not to put fingers anywhere other than the door handles and watch your step.
- Young Children should not wander the trains at will. If children are going to be permitted to visit other areas of the train on their own (over 12 years of age only) set guidelines for where they may go.
- Children should never go in the washroom or sleeper car with another passenger.
- If children are in another car or area of the train, they should return immediately to their seats if the train stops at a station or at any time.
- Use caution when walking or moving in the train as a sudden stop can occur at any moment. Sudden movements can also occur after the train has stopped.
- If children are sleeping in upper bunks, look for a harness or rail that will reduce the risk of falling out during the night. Some trains have a harness system. If a harness system is used that has openings, tell children not to put their head in the openings.
See also MTR Train Safety Tips
Contents |
[edit] General Rail Safety Information
- Freight trains do not travel on a predictable schedule; schedules for passengers trains change. Always expect a train at every highway-rail intersection.
- Train tracks are private property, no matter which railroad owns them. Trains have the right of way 100% of the time - over ambulances, fire engines, cars, the police and pedestrians.
- If there are rails on the railroad ties, assume that the track is in use, even if there are weeds or the tracks looks "rusty."
- A typical locomotive weighs approximately 400,000 pounds or 200 tons. When 100 railcars are added to the locomotive, the train can weigh appoximately 6,000 tons. The wieght ratio of an automobile to a train is proportional to a soda can and an automobile.
- A train may extend three feet or more outside the steel rail, which makes the safety zone for pedestrians well beyond the rails themselves.
- Trains cannot stop quickly. It is a simple law of physics: the huge weight and size of the train and the speed of the train dictate how quickly it can stop under ideal conditions. A 100-car freight train traveling at 55 miles per hour will ned more than a mile to stop - that's approximately 18 football fields - once the train i set into emergency braking.
- There are approximately 140,000 miles of the railroad tracks in the United States.
- Trains can move in either direction at any time. Trains are sometimes pushed by locomotives instead of being pulled. This is especially true in commuter and light rail passenger service.
- Modern trains are quieter than ever, with no telltale "Clackety-clack." Also, an approaching train will always be closer and moving faster tha you think.
- Cross tracks ONLY at designated pedestrian or roadway crossings. Observe and obey all warming signs and signals.
- Never walk down a train track; it's illegal and it's dangerous. By the time a locomotive engineer can see a trespasser or a vehicle on the tracks, it is too late. The train cannot stop quickly enough to avoid a collision.
- Remember: Rail and recreation do not mix!
[edit] Railroad Crossings
[edit] Riding the Rails
[edit] Riding Light Rail
[edit] Railroad Crossing Safety Tips
[edit] Rail Safety Tips
[edit] When you're in a car...
[edit] If you have children...
[edit] When you're near overhead power lines...
[edit] When you're walking...
[edit] When you're catching a train...
[edit] If you are a kid...
[edit] Train Public Safety
Here are a few tips regarding safety when around trains and railroad crossings. Some of these warmings you will remember when you were younger and growing up. These tips are still very relevant, and if you have children, please go ever these with them as well.
- DO NOT WALK OR NEAR RAILS OR CLIMBS ON RAILROAD CARS. Walking on the rails may seem like fun, but you are taking the chance of being hit by a train.
- WHEN CROOSING RAILROAD TRACKS ON FOOT, ALWAYS CROSS AT THE CROSSING AND OBEY ALL SIGNS AND SIGNALS.
- NEVER DRIVE OR WALK AROUND GATES. If the gates are down, stop and stay in place. Do not cross the tracks until the gates are raised and the lights have stopped flashing.
- EXPECT A TRAIN ON ANY TRACK AT ANY TIME. Most trains do not cross travel on a regular schedule. Be cautious at a crossing at any time of the day or night.
- NEVER TRY TO BEAT OUT A TRAIN. If you see a slower moving freight train coming down the tracks and feel you can cross the tracks and beat it- DON'T! You may have misjudged the speed of the train, and many times there are several sets of tracks running along side each other. There could be a speed train (like amtrack) racing along side the freight train that you will not see until it is too late! Most pedetrial vs. train accidents are cause by people crossing tracks at the last minute.
- BE AWARE WHEN PULLING UP TO CROSSING GATES THAT ARE DOWN. Stop far enough back from the crossing gates so that if the vehicle behind you does not stop and hits your vehicle from behind, your car will bot be thrown forward into the train.
- DO NOT GET TRAPPED ON A GRADE CROSSING. Never drive onto a grade crossing until you are sure you can clear the tracks. Once you have started cross the tracks, keep going.
- GET OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE IF IT STALLS. If you vehicle stalls on a crossing, get everyone out and off the tracks immediately. If a train is coming, quickly move away from the tracks but in the direction from which the train is approaching. Last winter a car got stuck on the Everett/ Waukegan road train tracks by station#2. Luckily an ambulance crew happened to be returning from a call when they came upon the scene. All of a sudden the gates went down due to an oncoming train. The fire fighters quickly helped the driver out of the car to safety before the train passed by hitting the stuck vehicle.
- TRAINS CANNOT STOP QUICKLY-YOU CAN. Using railroad tracks as a playground or shortcut may shortcut your life. Always remenber to LOOK_LISTEN_AND_LIVE!
[edit] Important Train Safety Tips
DO Not walk on the MTR tracks at any time.
There's no way out of the stations along the track area. Take note of the signs in all East Rail Station Platforms that remind all passengers never to enter MTR tracks areas. If in case you drop something in the train tracks, notify any station staff immediately and they will get it for you.
Do not risk your life by entering into the train track!
At Platforms while waiting the MTR trains:
- Always stay behind the yellow line,
- Queue up inside the yellow box.
- Never stand in the red box.
- Never go beyond the ends of the platform.
- Avoid standing at the edge of the platform.
- Call the Platform Supervisor for the help if something falls into the tracts, never try to get the items yourself.
- In Case of Emergency, press the Emergency Train Sto button.
When Getting On and Off the trains:
- Give way to the alighting passengers before boarding the train.
- Always aware and mind the platform gap.
- Stop boarding or alighting when the door closing signal sounds.
- Never block the train doors while closing.
- Take special care of children and the elderly.
While On Board the MTR train:
- Do not put your hands on the train door gap.
- Keep distance from the train doors.
- Stay at the middle of the train when seats are occupied.
- Always pat attention to the train announcements and electronic message boards.
When Crossing mtr trains Light Rail tracks:
- Pay attention and always follow the traffic lights, cross only when the light is green.
- Look to your left and to your right for any approaching vehicles before crossing.
- Do not cross when you hear the bell or horn sound of the Light Rail vehicle.
