Archive for Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Police step up enforcement at railroad crossings

By Staff Report

January 25, 2012

Some area motorists ignoring railroad crossing gates prompted local police and Union Pacific law enforcement officials to step up enforcement Tuesday.

The Union Pacific Railroad brought its Officer on a Train program and a Union Pacific Crossing Accident Reduction, Education and Safety operation to Bonner Springs late afternoon Tuesday at the crossing at Front and Second streets. The Bonner Springs Police Department and Kansas Highway Patrol participated.

The officer on a train program consists of putting law enforcement officers aboard a locomotive to partake in a short train ride in an effort to get a different perspective of motorist behavior at highway rail crossings.

The officers involved can view situations that train crew members often experience and also are able to speak with the crew members and railroad management about the safety issues involved with railroad operations.

In a U.P.C.A.R.E.S. operation, members of the Union Pacific Railroad Police Department act as ground enforcement units for motorist violations at the highway-rail crossings.

Comments

  1. Horseswagled (anonymous) says…

    And on the phoney Operation Lifesaver/Officer on the Train stings ticketing everything in sight.
    1. Why nothing is ever mentioned about any of the above?
    2. Why nothing is mentioned about blind crossings?
    3. Why nothing is mentioned about the missing signals at blind crossings?
    4. Why the so-called Operation Lifesaver people are all ex-railroad or work for the state DOTs?
    5. Why that train is just sitting there forcing the crossing signals to work DARING people to cross?
    6. Why OLI never mentions train speeds which are set too high through populated areas?
    7. Why OLI never mentions the highly toxic cargos of these train bombs going too fast?
    8. How in the world the police can ticket the drivers for stopping behind the gate and not at the stripe on the street which is supposed to be 50 feet from the tracks?
    9. Or if the driver needs to stop 50 feet away why isn't the gate 50 feet away from the tracks?
    10. Why the railroads crossing signals fail Federal road standards that a signal has to give the drivers time to obey?
    11. That the no green light(safe to proceed) and no yellow light (proceed with caution) on the decades old crossing equipment design are completely missing and the drivers are ticketed when the red comes on right in their face and they can't possible stop?
    12. That the other 364 days a year the railroads do nothing to keep away people from the tracks and just on the day with media attention they become dirty rotten trespassers with un-Constitional high fines?
    i don't get it big dan

  2. Horseswagled (anonymous) says…

    Does the media ever think
    Hmmm
    1. Why wasn't the train video camera paid for by the tax-payers not seized "immediately"by OUR cops and is being taken off the train by the railroad?
    2. Where is the railroad guy/gal going with that train event recorder with the train speed, lights, horns, brakes, etc...recorded?
    3. Why is that railroad worker taking that box out of the signal house?
    4. Why is that train crew not being tested for drugs/alcohol?
    5. Where is the track video linked to the trains to compensate for the sight distance the train can't compensate for and get stopped?
    6. Why under the trains there 100s of square feet to have better braking and there is not?
    7. Why there is little fencing along tracks and no lookout towers along the tracks?
    8. Why train stations don't have gates to open AFTER the train stops so people won't fall on the tracks?
    9. Why trains go 50/6070/ mph through train stations/towns and they don't through railyards?
    10. Why RR keep out signs are MILES apart in many places?
    11. Why their had to be witnesses and never are against the railroad and our cops use railroads hear-say?
    12. Why the railroad is allowed around the crime scene at all?
    13. Why the railroads get to self-investigate and Jeffrey Dohmer wasn't allowed to?
    14. Where the equipment the railroad removes after killing/ injuring someone goes?
    15. Why we are paying the Federal Railroad Administration and the Federal Transit Administration millions and they never show up unless the media attention is beyond local level and the railroad needs a good cover story?
    16. How the ntsb /fra never finds fault with the railroads.