Close call with train reminds workers
of rail safety protocol

Stop-Look-Listen.

Those were the safety reminders we all learned as youngsters regarding railroad crossings and approaching trains. An incident at a railroad crossing in District 4 on Jan. 11 was a stark reminder that those words are still the best rule of thumb to follow.

In this incident, a D4 plow was struck by a train near the sanding chute in the rear of the vehicle.

The bumper that sits over and protects the sanding chute was knocked loose and propelled 80 feet down the tracks.

“Always stop, look and listen when crossing railroad tracks,” said D4 Safety Compliance Officer Sarah Woolley. “Always yield for trains. Our snow plows are big, heavy pieces of machinery, but they are nothing compared to a locomotive.”

In this incident, the driver didn’t see the train until he had already turned and the front plow was up over the tracks. He proceeded to cross the rails but the back of the bumper was ultimately clipped.

“Just because we may not be accustomed to seeing trains on a particular set of tracks, we need to remain diligent and assume they can always be there,” said D4 District Engineer Jesse Barrus. “This is particularly important now that yield signs have replaced stop signs at railroad crossings throughout the state. Although an incident like this is never something we want to have happen, the outcome could have been much worse.”

Published 01-17-20