Double-Track Crossing With a Standing Train and a Restless Student
At 7:20 a.m. you are driving a 66-passenger bus with 22 students on a rural route. The crossing ahead has two tracks, a crossbuck, and no gates. To the right, a cornfield blocks your view until you are about 100 feet from the nearest rail. You stop 18 feet from the nearest rail, open the service door, and turn off the radio. A freight train is passing on the far track from left to right. After it clears, the near track looks clear, but your view to the right is still partly blocked by the standing train. The students are noisy, and one has unbuckled to look out the window. Your schedule is already 12 minutes behind. The bus has a manual transmission. You must decide when it is safe to cross, what to do about the student, and what to do if the bus stalls on the crossing.
1. Describe the crossing procedure and decide whether to cross now.
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Do not cross yet. At a two-track crossing, a train on the far track can hide a second train on the near track, and the cornfield already limits your view to the right. Keep the bus stopped at least 15 feet and no more than 50 feet from the nearest rail, with the service door open, radio off, and students quiet. Look and listen in both directions.
After the freight train clears, wait until you can see far enough down the near track to confirm it is clear. Then close the door, select a gear that will not require shifting on the crossing, and proceed without stopping. The 12-minute delay is irrelevant. If you cannot see clearly, do not cross; wait or ask someone at the crossing to flag.
2. What do you do about the unbuckled student before moving?
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Stop the crossing procedure and deal with the student before moving. With the bus stopped and the parking brake set, tell the student firmly to sit down and buckle up. If the student does not comply, secure the bus and ask another student or aide to help, but do not leave the driver's seat unattended if the bus could move.
Do not cross the tracks with an unbuckled student who may distract you or be thrown. Once the student is seated and belted and the bus is quiet, restart the look-and-listen procedure from the beginning. A student's movement can change your sight line and your attention, so the crossing check must be repeated.
3. The bus stalls while crossing the tracks. What is the correct sequence of actions?
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If the bus stalls on the crossing, evacuate immediately. Tell students to leave by the side and rear exits and move at least 100 feet away from the tracks, preferably perpendicular to the tracks and away from the direction of any train. Do not stop to take belongings.
Call 911 and give the crossing location, milepost or road name, and the fact that a school bus is on the tracks. If a train is approaching, get everyone clear first; do not try to restart the bus. Once students are accounted for, notify dispatch and the school. Only return to the bus when police or railroad personnel say it is safe.