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State initiative looks to increase train safety

By Alyssa Choiniere achoiniere@heraldstandard.Com 4 min read
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Alyssa Choiniere | Herald-Standard

In this file photo, vapor billows from the collision point of a train and tanker truck carrying hydrochloric acid at a crossing on Maple Glenn Road in Centerville March 6, 2018.

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Alyssa Choiniere | Herald-Standard

In this Aug. 15, 2018 file photo, a 9-year-old boy was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital after being hit by a train while riding his bicycle in Dawson at the intersection of Laughlin and Railroad streets.

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Alyssa Choiniere | Herald-Standard

In this Oct. 10, 2018 file photo, a train hit a car in Dawson at the intersection of Laughlin and Railroad streets, causing serious injuries to a 34-year-old Scottdale woman.

Pennsylvania agencies are joining forces with organizations and first responders for “Operation Clear Track,” an awareness event aimed at preventing injuries and deaths on railways.

Railway crossing and trespassing incidents result in 2,100 deaths and injuries every year, including 39 so far this year in Pennsylvania, officials said. The local region has seen its share of serious incidents at railroad crossings, including one which caused the evacuation of a Centerville neighborhood. A Dawson crossing which has seen repeated accidents prompted a Public Utility Commission safety investigation.

“Far too often, our agency receives information from local responders about another injury or death near railway infrastructure in the Commonwealth,” said Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Padfield said. “This important effort to bring awareness to the dangers posed to the public in close proximity to rail lines will save lives.”

Two people were seriously injured in less than two months at the railroad crossing at the intersection of Laughlin and Railroad Streets in Dawson. On Aug. 15, 2018, a 9-year-old boy riding a bicycle was hit by a train at the intersection. On Oct. 10, 2018, a 34-year-old Scottdale woman crossed the intersection in her vehicle, which was hit by a train. The PUC launched an investigation into safety measures within days after the second crash. Prior to those accidents, six people were injured and one was killed at the crossing since 1986, according to the Federal Railroad Administration.

One block from that crossing, a train hit a woman’s car at the intersection of Strickler and Railroad streets July 26, 2019. She was not injured.

CSX filed applications with the PUC in June to make changes to rail crossings in Dawson, including abolishing the crossings at Strickler and Griscom streets. The application is under review by the commission.

On March 6, 2018, a train collided with an oil tanker truck carrying hydrochloric acid as the truck turned left onto Maple Glenn Road at Route 88 (Low Hill Road) into Forum Energy Technologies in Centerville, Washington County.

The truck driver was seriously injured, the train’s engineer and conductor were taken to a hospital for evaluation, and 15 homes and the Forum warehouse were evacuated for fumes in the area. It was the fourth time a train hit a vehicle at the crossing since 2010. The PUC launched an investigation into safety upgrades, which recommended a series of flashing warning lights and a warning bell, signs and stop lines.

A train car overturned in Upper Tyrone Township, causing about 200 gallons of flammable liquid to spill into a tributary of Jacobs Creek Nov. 14, 2019. The train car had been dropped off earlier that morning, and its breaks went out, causing it to hit a derailer designed to flip out-of-control cars off the tracks. There were no injuries.

“With more than 5,600 miles of track and the highest number of operating railroads in the country, rail safety is of utmost importance in Pennsylvania,” said PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian. “It’s everyone’s responsibility to be safe around rail crossings and railroad rights-of-way, and we’re proud to join our partners to commemorate Rail Safety Week.”

Operation Clear Track is a part of Rail Safety Week Sept. 21 to 27. PEMA and the Office of State Fire Commissioner are joining forces with first responders in the U.S. and Canada for the safety initiative coordinated by Amtrak and Operation Lifesaver Inc. The event will be held virtually.

“Operation Clear Track and Rail Safety Week are promoting a needed and important lesson that we want our citizens to fully understand,” said State Fire Commissioner Bruce Trego added. “We know the most common incidents involve rail crossings and are almost always easily avoidable.”

Safety tips include: never drive around lowered gates or walk on train tracks, both of which are illegal; never racing a train the crossing; only proceeding through a highway-rail grade crossing if you are sure you can completely clear the crossing without stopping. The train is 3 feet wider than the tracks on both sides.

If a vehicle ever stalls on the track while a train is coming, officials recommended leaving the vehicle immediately and moving away from the tracks in the direction from which the train is coming.

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