Coach Stalls on a Rural Railroad Crossing
At 22:40, you are driving a 40-foot coach with 38 passengers on a rural two-lane road. The crossing ahead has only crossbucks and a stop sign; there are no gates or lights. The road approaches the tracks at a slight angle, and tall corn on the right limits your view down the track. Your bus is 40 feet long, and the crossing is 30 feet wide. You stop, open the door, and listen; then you start across. When the rear of the coach is still on the tracks, the engine dies and will not restart. The headlights stay on, but the hazard lights are not yet on. A passenger yells that a train horn is sounding to the right, perhaps a half-mile away. The outside temperature is 35°F, and passengers are becoming alarmed.
1. What are your immediate priorities in the first 30 seconds, and in what order?
Read the worked answer
Evacuate first. Do not spend the first 30 seconds trying to restart the engine or troubleshooting. A train horn a half-mile away can become an impact in roughly 30 to 36 seconds at 50 to 60 mph, and the rear of the coach is still foul of the tracks.
Order of action:
- Shout a clear evacuation order and tell passengers to leave by the front and rear exits, away from the tracks.
- Open the exits and get people moving immediately. Leave belongings behind.
- Send passengers away from the track at an angle-at least 100 feet from the rails-and away from the direction the train is coming from. Do not let them run alongside the track.
- Call 911 or have a passenger call, giving the crossing location and that a train is approaching.
- Once people are clear, account for passengers as best you can, including the wheelchair passenger and anyone who needs help.
Turning on hazard lights is useful only if it takes a second; it is not a reason to delay evacuation. Do not reboard to get luggage.
2. Where should you send the passengers, and what should you do after the train passes?
Read the worked answer
Send passengers to a safe gathering point off the roadway and at least 100 feet from the tracks, preferably upwind and on the side away from the approaching train. Do not send them straight down the track or into the corn where they cannot be seen. Assign two or three capable passengers to help the wheelchair user and anyone with limited mobility; if the wheelchair cannot be moved quickly, assist the person away from the coach and track first.
After the train passes, do not let anyone reboard until emergency responders or a railroad official says the crossing and coach are safe. The coach may be damaged, the fuel system may be leaking, or a second train may be coming on another track. Keep passengers gathered away from traffic and the crossing. Give the responding officer a passenger count, the coach number, and the exact crossing location. Only after the scene is cleared should you consider recovery of the coach or baggage.