Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Here are some sobering facts to consider next time you ignore the lights and try to dash across railroad tracks in a hurry on your way to work:
• A train can crush a car as easily as a car crushes a soda can.
• With a weight ratio of 1 to 4,000, no automobile stands a chance against a moving train.
• Only airplane crashes have fewer survivors walk away than train collisions.
Fourteen local police officers are participating in a three-day class sponsored by Norfolk-Southern Railroad. The course will help police improve their investigations of vehicle-train collisions. The program is co-sponsored by Norfolk-Southern and Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department.
"It lets us see the railroad from the engineer's perspective," said Deputy Tony Ciriello. "It better informs us on investigation techniques and reasons for collisions."
Officers - from Warsaw, Huntington (city and county), Wabash, Allen County, Kosciusko County, Indiana State Police - as well as members of the Kosciusko County coroner's office, learned about the equipment of the railroad.
They took a ride on an engine to see the crossings first-hand, and learned how the crossing signals are operated and maintained. A conductor showed them how the braking works on a railcar and how to set a handbrake themselves if they should encounter a free-rolling car. The police also learned how to identify different tank cars including those carrying hazardous materials.
According to Ciriello, the class was a valuable experience: "It gave us an inside perspective of the train crew and emotions they feel after a collision."
This new perspective is important since the Norfolk-Southern line that runs through Warsaw on its way from Fort Wayne to Chicago leads the company in crossing accidents every year. "Accidents are traumatic for the family and the crew members," said Mike Hancock, special agent for Norfolk-Southern and leader of this program. "The only thing they can use to stop is the emergency brake. It's like having a front-row seat to a tragedy."
Norfolk-Southern is one of six major freight railroad companies in the country. Hancock said the company is active in promoting crossing safety to reduce collision fatalities. They work with Operation Life Saver, a nonprofit organization concerned with crossing safety.
The railroad has taken many precautions to prevent accidents. First, each engine is equipped with bells, a horn, headlights and flashing lights. Secondly, they are forced to obey speed limits on the tracks. Also, there are designated distances before crossings that the train starts whistling. The gates and lights, where available, activate 20 seconds before the train crosses a street.
However, only 40 percent of Indiana's railroad crossings have the warning systems with lights or gates. The rest have only passive warnings with crossbucks. Although the railroad maintains the equipment, the federal and state departments of transportation pay for the crossing systems. A warning system can cost taxpayers $250,000 for the gate and lights.
The public can take matters into their own hands and be careful when crossing railroad tracks. "There is no evasive action for a train to take. The public needs to slow down and yield," said Hancock. "Look, Listen and Live."
