Second-Train Decision at a Three-Track Crossing
At 6:50 a.m. you are carrying 38 students toward school. Your route crosses a three-track railroad crossing with a crossbuck and flashing red lights but no gates. You stop 15 feet before the nearest rail, open the service door and the driver window, and turn off the radio. A freight train clears the crossing from left to right; its caboose passes, but the red lights continue to flash. A car behind you honks. You are 4 minutes behind schedule, and the next stop is a transfer point where 12 students must connect. The crossing has a slight upgrade beyond the tracks, and your bus is loaded. The weather is clear and the pavement is dry.
1. The first train has cleared but the lights are still flashing. What do you do?
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Treat the continuing red lights as a warning that a second train may be approaching, not as a malfunction to be ignored. Keep the bus stopped 15 feet back, keep the service door open, and look and listen in both directions. On a three-track crossing, a train on the far track can be hidden by the train that just passed, so wait until the lights stop flashing and you can see that every track is clear. Do not move just because the car behind you honks; the honking driver has no responsibility for 38 students. If the lights continue to flash after a reasonable wait and no train appears, report a possible signal malfunction to dispatch and the railroad, and ask whether to use an alternate route. Do not cross on the assumption that the signal is broken.
2. What is the correct procedure once the lights stop and you decide to cross?
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Before moving, look and listen again in both directions and confirm that all three tracks are clear. Close the service door, select the proper gear, and cross the tracks without stopping or shifting. Because the crossing has a slight upgrade beyond the rails and the bus is loaded, make sure there is enough clear space on the far side for the entire bus before you start; do not enter the crossing if traffic or the transfer point could force you to stop on the tracks. Cross at a steady speed and check for a second train one more time as you clear the first track. If anything blocks the far side, stop before the tracks and wait.
3. What would you do if the bus stalled with the rear half still on the tracks?
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Evacuate immediately. Tell students in a loud, clear voice to leave by the front door and move away from the tracks at an angle, away from the direction of any approaching train and away from traffic. Do not stop to take books or phones. Once students are clear, call 911 and give the crossing location, then call the railroad emergency number if it is posted. Do not reboard to restart the bus or to retrieve equipment. Keep the students together upwind and well away from the tracks, count them against the roster, and wait for police or railroad personnel to confirm the scene is safe. A stalled bus on a crossing is an emergency even when no train is visible.