Walking on train tracks?

Question

is it legal to do it?

Answer 1

yes it is. usually the railroad owns the property surrounding the tracks. usually at least 50 feet around the tracks. so as soon as u step foot around the tracks its tresspassing.

Answer 2

Illegal and dangerous.

Answer 3

If it is posted "No Trespassing" and you're caught, then you're caught.

Otherwise, though unwise, it is legal.  A perfect example is the rail lines that follow waterways, where the grade is the least.  They are accessed by fishermen all the time.  Right below my house, there are people walking along the banks of the Sacramento River all day, either to fish, hike or visit Mossbrae Falls.  Waterways are public domain, which is why you can raft them, swim in them, sunbathe by them, camp by them, etc. etc.

It is posted "At Your Own Risk," not "No Trespassing."  It is a very popular spot on the UP's main west coast north-south route, the I-5 Corridor.  I can name a hundred other places.

But, major rail yards are surrounded by fence and posted.  Anyone wandering around there will be arrested immediately.

Best to stay off the right of way, unless necessary, such as trying to get to Mossbrae falls.

Keep some things in mind when using the right of way.

1.  Don't put all your faith in any one sense.  Trains that are drifting along or in dynamic brake make very little noise and will definitely sneak up on you.  Be aware of your surroundings at all times and pay attention.

2.  Obviously, never walk along with any music playing in your ears.

3.  If your dog is along, have it on a leash.

4.  Never step on top of a rail.  There is a lot of grease, oil, crater and other slippery stuff around.  If you slip and knock yourself unconcious you'll get sliced up like a loaf of balogna in a deli.

5.  The insides of rails often have razor-sharp 'flash' where the flanges of the wheels have worn away the inside of the ball.  Carelessness here = stitches.  Sometimes, a great number of them.

6.  The ground and ballast is uneven and poor footing along the toe path is everywhere.  Never wear sandals, tennis shoes, flip flops, etc.  Wear a good pair of boots with good ankle support.  Not doing so may contribute to the number of stitches mentioned above, or a sprained ankle.

7.  If walking with others, walk single file.  The last guy in the line must protect the rear against moving equipment.

8.  Never put yourself between the rails and any type of close clearance, such as rock outcrops, bridge abutments, retaining walls, loading platforms, etc.  As you are walking be looking for a place to dodge to as you go.  You may need it.  Remember, the equipment is much wider than the rail, often times with lading, such as boards or such, protruding from the side of the car.  The metal bands around loads of lumber break frequently.  If one is skipping along the groud for any distance, it is sharpened in short order.  It will cut you into two pieces at the waist quicker than Emiril with a Ginsu.

9.  NEVER EVER cross a bridge.  You will have two alternatives.  You can either jump and die, or not jump and die.  Here, "die" is the key word.

10.  Here's the biggie: expect the movement of any equipment, on any track at any time, in either direction with no advance warning.  Never stand between the equipment, coupled or not.  Never climb through the equipment. Employes are trained in how to cross in the safest manner. Never crawl under the equipment.  Even if you have to walk a mile to get around the train, do it.  If crossing the track in front of or behind any standing equipment, do so at a minimum of 50 feet distance.

Follow the rules above, keep your wits about you and have a nice hike............  Do it not, and we're back to "die"again.

Answer 4

yes it is legal.......and it will be very joyful

Answer 5

In England it is illegal and considered suicidal. Only staff members trained/licenced by the rail operator using the track are allow to do this. As a train driver I avoid going on the track unless I cannot avoid it. On running lines (track that is used to carry passengers) a member of staff would stop a train where they need to gain access and ask for the electricity (known as traction current) to be switched off where possible.

Answer 6

no,as several cops have told me.however unless you pose a danger to yourself or others, and hold a civil tongue,the cops will not take you in.take care.

Answer 7

it is illegal, and punishable by in most cases state and federal law. most railroad companies are very strict about this, and railroad police will stop you if they see you. this is a widely ignored law, and many people have died because of it. For more information, please visit Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing railroad right-of-way incidents at:

http://www.oli.org

Answer 8

No. You're trespassing, and engaging in a very dangerous activity. The only time it's legal is when it goes thru a town, and there are walkways across it at intersections. Otherwise, you have no reason to be on it, and it is considered Trespassing. If you must, find some abandoned tracks and walk those instead - it might still be trespassing, but at least it won't be dangerous.

Answer 9

RR's are private property so you would be trespassing. I have to break up your fun but it is dangerous. Trains do not always make a lot of noise approacing and there have been more fatalaties than I you can believe from doing just this exact thing. And YES I have done it when I was younger, now I realize how unsafe it is. Please dont do it.

Answer 10

Back when I was like 16, I was in Yuma. The UP cop came, and told me I was doing tw things wrong 1) Defacing US money, lol and 2) Tresspassing.  Because the railroad owns that porperty, just like somone owning their backyard. It's just a very narrow, and long 'backyard'

Answer 11

If there is a "No tresspssing" sign, then, no. Even where it is legal to do so, I wouldn't recomend it, especialy if it is a busy line &/or trains come though there fast. I used to walk the railroad tracks to school when I was a little kid, the line that went though Lewistown wasn't a very active one. I knew if a train was coming by feeling the rails for vibrations, looking back on that, evcen though it wasn't a busy line, I don't think it's a good idea know. Oh, & by the way I can walk on the railroad grade all I want now, because they pulled the tracks up about a year ago!

Answer 12

It's illegal, will a cop give you a ticket for it? probally not, maybe a warning.

Answer 13

It's illegal and quite dangerous, so if you're thinking about doing it, THEN DON'T!!

Answer 14

Illegal and dangerous.

Illegal to be on the railroad right-of-way, which is usually 40 feet on either side of the track.  

Dangerous to be "on the track", which is within 15 feet of any rail.  Any closer than that, and you can be hit by the train or sucked into a passing train.  Even farther than 15 feet you can still be clipped by a shifted, damaged or loose load on a freight train, though it's less likely the farther you are away.

You should definitely NEVER use the railroad ties as a walkway.  If you must walk the right-of-way, be away from the rails and/or a bit down the embankment.  

Often there's a parallel access trail on the right-of-way meant for railroad company automobiles and utility trucks... that's much safer.

When you cross tracks (unavoidable, I know), look both ways and walk across, don't dawdle.  Step OVER the rails, not on them.  Rail tops are slippery and slipping is far worse than tripping.

If you're near stopped railroad cars, expect them to move at ANY moment, operated by a crew who's totally unaware that you're there.  After all you're not supposed to be there.  Never cross the track within 50 feet of any wheels, which means never crawl under, over or between cars.   And when you go around the end of a train, expect it to move suddenly at the worst moment. So go 30 feet past it before you cross

What if you know rail operations?  No, expect a train on any track any time either direction.  

What if you know it's only a 10 MPH branchline, or you know hasn't had a train in years?  No, lines like this still see hy-rail trucks and track speeders which can go 30-40 mph and could be on top of you before you know, and they can't stop.  (you know trains can't stop right?)  

What if there is heavy brush or small trees growing up between the rails, so clearly nothing runs on it?  Your call at that point, but it's still illegal technically.  Often, illegal traffic like ATVs and snowmobiles beats down the brush, so it becomes passable for hy-rails and speeders, and then - look out!

It's hard to get killed by a coconut.  You have to be underneath a coconut tree when one falls.  You can easily avoid this risk by, hello, not going under coconut trees!  So you gotta be pretty dumb to get killed by a coconut.    Trains are exactly the same way.

Except coconuts aren't human, and trains are run by people, good people. There's nothing worse for them than finding out somebody got killed by their train.  It haunts them their entire lives.  So don't just think of yourself, think of them too.

Answer 15

no it is not legal if you are not an employee of the company that owns the rails.  even if you are an employee it is a very unsafe practice to engage in and it is always actively and agressively discouraged by those in the railroad industry.

Answer 16

Yes it is .

Answer 17

it is agains the law and you can get charged with tresspassing

Answer 18

Yes it is illeagal.  The Railroad company owns those tracks and it is illeagal and punishible if they catch you.  Actually most people dont get caught by police, they get killed by hitting hit by a train.  Train tracks and usually about 100 feet in both directions is tresspassing!

Answer 19

I would imagine since it is tresspassing, I know that much

Answer 20

go ahead u can make big bucks if a train hits u u can also be dead im jk dont do it

Answer 21

ENDS   WALKING  DEAD

Answer 22

People walking on tracks is annoying and it annoys the railroad crews as well.  Yeah, let's go walk on some tracks and get KILLED!  And yes it is illegal: TRESSPASSING.  There.  Hope you see this.