As the 2,000-horsepower Kansas City Southern locomotive lumbered along its tracks Friday, some Columbus drivers tried to beat the train.

They didn”t realize Columbus police officers were waiting.

Officers wrote seven tickets for railroad-crossing violations Friday morning as part of a safety exercise organized by Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit group that educates the public about railroad-related incidents.

A lookout officer was holed up inside the back-to-back, car-less locomotives, looking for drivers who crossed the tracks while railroad crossing lights were still active or who tried to navigate around the crossing gates. Railroad-crossing violations carry a $227 fine.

Trains hit each crossing from Highway 69 to the Tennessee-Tombigbee River twice in a three-hour period at about 5 to 10 mph. Meanwhile, another officer used a squad car to track down violators.

Also in the locomotive was Columbus Mayor Robert Smith, who observed the exercise.

Although Lowndes County has not seen a railroad-related fatality in five years, it has seen 23 people injured in 16 incidents since 2001, according to the Federal Railroad Administration Office of Safety Analysis.

The exercise, which had not been done in North Mississippi in five years, highlighted the need for citizens to abide by railroad crossing laws, said police Public Information Officer Terrie Songer.

“There are thousands of people killed every year because they tried to beat the train, or just aren”t paying attention, or whatever,” Songer said.

Operation Lifesaver Executive Director Kimbler Sloan said collisions and injuries — which “happen all the time” at railroad crossings — shouldn”t happen at all.

“Any wreck or accident that takes place at a crossing is preventable,” she said.

More exercises are being planned at different railways in Mississippi and in Lowndes County, she said.

Tracks and trains safety tips

• Look both ways. Always expect a train. Look both ways before proceeding.
• Don”t get stuck on the track. Before you cross, be sure there is room on the other side to completely clear the tracks. Trains overhang the tracks by at least 3 feet on each side. For safety, leave at least 15 feet between the rear of your vehicle and the nearest rail. Do not shift gears while crossing.
• Get out, get away. If your vehicle stalls at a crossing, get everyone out and far away immediately. Call the emergency notification number posted on or near the crossing or notify local law enforcement.
• If you see a train coming, wait. An approaching train may be closer and traveling faster than it appears.
• Trains cannot stop quickly. The average freight train traveling 55 mph takes a mile or more to stop. That”s 18 football fields. If the locomotive engineer can see you, it”s too late to stop the train.
• Watch for vehicles that must stop at railroad crossings. Most states, including Mississippi, require school buses to stop at every highway-rail grade crossing. Commercial buses and trucks carrying hazardous materials are also required to stop in some states.
• If you see a problem at a crossing. report it. Call the number on or near the crossing, or call local law enforcement.

  Source: Operation Lifesaver

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