Stalled on the Tracks With the Gate Coming Down
On a rural two-lane road at 6:40 a.m., your car stalls on a railroad crossing. The engine turns over but will not start. The red lights begin flashing, and the gate on your side starts down. A passenger is in the front seat, and a train horn sounds from the left, though you cannot yet see the train. The crossing has a blue sign with a 1-800 number and a DOT number. Your car is straddling the near rail. The gate is about to hit the roof. The passenger screams, 'Try it again!' The road is foggy, and you can hear the train but not judge its speed.
1. What should you do in the first 10 seconds?
Read the worked answer
Do not keep cranking the engine. The priority is to get everyone out of the car immediately. Put the car in park or neutral, but do not waste time trying to diagnose the stall. Tell the passenger to get out on the side away from the tracks and away from traffic, then move at least 100 feet away from the crossing at an angle rather than running straight down the track bed. Leave belongings behind. Once clear, call 911 and use the 1-800 number on the blue Emergency Notification System sign to report the crossing and the DOT number. The train horn means a train is close; assume it is moving faster than it appears.
2. The gate lowers onto the car. Should you try to move the car or lift the gate?
Read the worked answer
No. Do not re-enter the car to move it, and do not try to lift the gate. The gate is designed to break away, and the car is replaceable; a person is not. Trying to restart the car or wrestle the gate wastes the seconds that matter. Get out and keep moving away from the tracks. Once you are safely clear, stay clear and warn anyone else nearby not to approach. The train cannot stop quickly, and debris from a collision can travel far. The correct judgment is to abandon the vehicle and protect the people.
3. The train is not yet visible because of fog. Should you still evacuate?
Read the worked answer
Yes. Fog can hide a train until it is very close, and sound gives only a rough direction, not a safe distance. The flashing lights and lowering gate mean the crossing is active. Do not wait to see the train before acting. Evacuate, move well away from the tracks, and call for help. Do not stand between the rails, do not walk along the track bed, and do not return to the car until emergency personnel say it is safe. The fact that you cannot see the train does not make the crossing safe; it makes the situation more dangerous.