[Magdalen] Train accident

[Roger Stokes]

On 31/01/2018 21:07, Sally Davies wrote:
> This happened to Keith in California a few years back, his one and only trip to USA so far. Train hit a vehicle on a crossing, delayed many hours.
>
> Is it a common event?

I have no idea how often it happens but there must be a lot of such 
crashes in the USA given the number of such crossings there are there. 
Some of the crossings have warning lights but others do not and drivers 
have to listen for trains approaching the crossing. In some cases a 
vehicle will be across the tracks waiting to turn onto the highway and 
they have nowhere to go as the train approaches. In other cases they 
misjudge whether they can get across before the train actually gets 
there. Waiting for the train to pass can mean a very significant wait 
given the length of trains in the USA - they are often a mile or more 
long. When there is a crash then there will be a significant delay for 
the police investigation, and quite possibly the train driver will be 
taken off duty immediately and another one has to be found from some 
distance away to let the train continue once any debris has been removed.

Roger