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The Federal Railroad Administration was created in 1966 to ensure, promote and enforce safety throughout America's railroad system. Today, the U.S. railroad system is made up over 500 railroads running on 110,000 miles of track, and daily traveling through almost 280,000 highway-rail crossings nationwide.

At the FRA, reducing rail-related accidents is always our number one goal. As part of this endeavor, we are working to reduce highway-rail crossing and trespasser incidents. A highway-rail crossing is defined as a location where railroad tracks intersect a public or private thoroughfare, side walk or a pathway. A trespasser is anyone whose presence on railroad property-track, bridges, equipment and yards-is not authorized by the railroad.

The reality is that nearly every 115 minutes in America, someone is hit by a train. Combined, highway-rail crossing and trespasser deaths account for 90 percent of all rail-related deaths. What is truly tragic is that most of these accidents are avoidable. Most crossing accidents occur simply because motorists choose to ignore warnings signs, signals, or safety gates. Nearly all trespasser deaths are preventable. Unfortunately, many people continue to jog, ride bikes, and walk near or over tracks daily, needlessly endangering their lives and the lives of train crews. Many believe they will hear the oncoming train or that the train will be able to stop in time. The fact is that it takes a train traveling 50 mph a mile-and-a-half to stop.

While many of these fatalities and injuries occur because people choose to disregard warning signs, some are a result of adults and children not understanding that a train can travel through a segment of track at any time, often with less than a minute of warning.

That is why the FRA has launched a public information campaign to educate the American people that they should Always Expect A Train.

The goal of the campaign is to change the public's behavior by increasing awareness of the dangers at high-rail crossings and of trespassing on railroad crossings. Education is the most important element of our initiative to reduce these tragic and avoidable incidents.

This lifesaving message is part of a nationwide multimedia campaign which will air on television, radio and in print nationwide in English and Spanish. The Department is also partnering with State and local governments, transportation and civic associations, schools, and all possible partners to alert the public that they should Always Expect A Train.

For more information, multimedia copies of Always Expect A Train and to learn what you can do to reduce crossing accidents please contact the FRA’s Office of Public Affairs at (202) 632-3124.