This week – September 22nd through the 28th is Rail Safety Week in Illinois. The implementation of Rail Safety Week began in 2014 by the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police Traffic Safety Committee. The purpose behind this week is to raise awareness – whether you are in or out of town. “The rural crossings -where there may not be lights, a driver might see that train coming at them and think, Ok can I beat this?” said Illinois State Trooper Jason Wilson. “Maybe, maybe not. The trains that are the passenger train – the Amtrak Train – they’re actually traveling around 80 miles per hour. I know that because I personally radared them as they’re coming down the tracks right there on US 34. They’re traveling between Oneida and Galesburg – they’re hitting 79 miles per hour every single time.” Illinois is at the center of the nation’s rail network, with approximately 9,982 miles of railroad tracks, 7,792 of which are operated by Class I railroads – primarily BNSF Railway and the Union Pacific Railroad. Motorists and pedestrians are reminded to never try to beat a train, only cross at a grade crossing, and it is against the law to trespass on railroad property. There were 541 trespassing deaths in the United States in 2018 – 24 in Illinois. There were over 2200 rail crossing collisions in the U.S. last year – 109 in Illinois resulting in 17 deaths.
