Columbus is expected to experience in September what Seymour has begun to experience now: CSX Transportation and the Louisville & Indiana Railroad moving more trains through town.
Louisville & Indiana Railroad and CSX will increase northbound traffic on the railroad line across the State Roads 46 and 11 intersection on Columbus’ west side from four to six trains now to as many as 22 trains a day at higher speeds than previously have been seen on the track.
The additional train traffic on the 106½-mile, north-south line will mean more delays for motorists trying to get from the west side to downtown and other parts of Columbus. It also makes safety a greater issue at the intersection.
Increased train traffic raises concerns for drivers who pay little or no attention at rail crossings they drive across day after day because they never see a train there, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation.
According to Indiana Crash Facts 2016, published by the Indiana University Public Policy Institute, there were 356 railroad crossing crashes that year, including five fatalities and 66 that left motorists injured.
The department offers the following safety tips in an effort to help save lives:
- Remember that trains do not run on set schedules. They can be on any track, at any time, going in either direction.
- Always yield the right of way to the train. The train cannot yield to you. More than half of all motor vehicle-train collisions occur at crossings equipped with automatic signals. It’s because some drivers choose to drive around the gates or through the flashing red lights because they believe they can beat the train or they assume a stopped train has activated the signals or the signals are malfunctioning.
- Never ignore active warnings at crossings.
- Trains will arrive at a crossing faster than you anticipate.
- Look and listen when you see advance warning signs indicating a rail-highway crossing.
- Don’t get trapped on railroad crossings.
- Before starting across the tracks, be sure there’s room to get completely across.
- When running away from a vehicle stuck on tracks, run away from the tracks at an angle in the direction of the approaching train.
- Stay off railroad property and stay safe. Railroad tracks, service roads and right of way are private property, and only people authorized by the railroads can be on that property.
Three times in one day a few weeks ago, a vehicle was hit by a train in Johnson County.
To be fair, it’s hard not to know a train is approaching a crossing considering the engineer has such a loud horn at his disposal. But it’s always better to exercise caution.
