Back in the late 80s' and early 90s' I was working for the Norfolk Southern Railway Police Department.  A lot of people are not aware that major railroads have their own police department with agents that are commissioned through the Federal Government to enforce state and federal law that pertains to railroads and their property.  I was one of those agents and we lived in Columbus, Ohio.  My territory was Windsor, Canada, North, to Kansas City, Kansas, West, to Roanoke, Virginia, East and to Lexington, Kentucky, South.  Needless to say we covered a lot of territory.  I investigated a lot of accidents, employee and citizen.  Sad to say some were fatal and the rest involved injuries.  

With that said, as the weather improves so does the opportunity to use the rail system for travel and entertainment.  I thought I would include a few safety tips:

SIX THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT LIGHT RAIL AND COMMUTER TRAIN SAFETY

1. STAY ALERT.
Trains can come from either direction at any time and can be very quiet.  They now have what is called "ribbon rail" which is a type of welded rail sections. You don't hear the noise of the wheel on the rail anymore.  Around train tracks or in stations, obey all warning signs and signals and use caution when using headsets or cell phones.

2. WATCH THE OVERHANG.
Trains are wider than the tracks; never sit on the edge of a station platform.

3. STAND AWAY FROM THE PLATFORM EDGE.
Pay attention to painted or raised markings at the platform edge, and stay at least three feet from the train while it is coming in or out of the station.

4. WHEN ON BOARD, HOLD ON.
Hold on tight to poles or seats, and listen carefully to directions from the train operator or conductor.

5. WATCH YOUR STEP.
Be careful getting on and off the train - there may be a gap between the train and platform or steps.

6. DON'T TAKE SHORTCUTS WITH YOUR LIFE!
Follow directional signs and markings that let you know where it is safe to cross the tracks. Crossing the tracks anywhere else is dangerous and illegal. Never use any rail road track as a short cut or drive around the railway crossing arms.  Trains are not like cars, they cannot stop on a dime.  Depending on weight and length, it could take a train over a mile to completely stop after they apply the brakes.
       

No one is ever a winner when they take shortcuts to safety, especially with a train.