Illinois Railroad Workers Urge Residents to Stay Safe Around Tracks and Trains (Springfield, IL) – Illinois railroad workers are urging motorists, pedestrians and families to exercise caution around railroad tracks and crossings as the state prepares to observe See Tracks? Think Train!® Week Sept. 21-27.
SMART-TD Illinois State Director Bob Guy said railroad employees regularly witness the dangers created when people ignore crossing signals, walk on tracks or become distracted near trains.
“A train can’t swerve around you, and it can’t stop like your car,” Guy said. “By the time a locomotive engineer sees someone in the train’s path, there may be nothing that crew can physically do to prevent a collision. That’s why the safe decision has to happen before you enter the tracks.”
Illinois recorded 134 highway-rail crossing collisions in 2025, resulting in 34 deaths and 27 serious injuries. The state has approximately 7,300 miles of railroad track, along with 7,482 public highway-rail crossings and 3,280 private crossings.
Railroad officials note that a freight train traveling 55 mph can require more than a mile, or about 18 football fields, to come to a complete stop.
SMART-TD is encouraging residents to use designated crossings, obey gates and warning signals, and remain off railroad property. People should never drive, walk or bicycle around lowered gates and should look for a second train after one passes.
Residents are also urged to avoid using phones or headphones around tracks and never use railroad property for photographs, videos or recreation. Officials stress that people should never assume an approaching train will be able to stop in time.
The safety message is also receiving new attention in Illinois schools under Public Act 104-0590. The new law incorporates basic railroad safety information into K-12 student handbooks, giving schools another way to teach students about designated crossings, warning signals, lowered gates and the dangers of approaching trains.
State Rep. Matt Hanson, a SMART-TD member and longtime railroad worker, helped lead the legislative effort. The measure passed the Illinois House 112-0 and the Senate 56-1 before being signed into law.
Guy said Hanson’s experience working on the railroad helped bring a firsthand perspective to the legislation.
“Matt understands what our members see and experience every day on the railroad,” Guy said. “He knows that the consequences of one bad decision around the tracks can be devastating. This law gives us an opportunity to reach young people early and help them understand why these rules matter before they ever get behind the wheel.”
Guy said educating children is particularly important because they may encounter railroad tracks while walking, biking, riding school buses or playing near community railroad infrastructure.
“Children are never too young to learn that tracks aren’t playgrounds, shortcuts or places to take pictures,” Guy said. “If we teach them to respect trains and crossings when they’re young, we can help build habits they carry with them when they eventually become drivers.”
SMART-TD is also reminding motorists what to do if a vehicle becomes trapped on railroad tracks. Everyone inside the vehicle should get out immediately and move away from the tracks. Once safely away, motorists should call the number listed on the blue-and-white Emergency Notification System sign at the crossing. If no sign is available, they should call 911.
Guy said Rail Safety Week provides an opportunity for railroad workers, schools, parents, lawmakers and community leaders to reinforce safety practices throughout Illinois.
“Rail Safety Week lasts seven days, but these decisions matter every day,” Guy said. “Always expect a train. Stay off the tracks. Obey the warnings. A few seconds of patience — and a few lessons learned early in life — can save a life.”
Illinois Railroad Workers Urge Residents to Stay Safe Around Tracks and Trains
