Ride safely on ATVs by avoiding railroad tracks and rights-of-way

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., June 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With the summer fast approaching, CSX Transportation (CSXT) asks you to stay safe and keep ATVs (all terrain vehicles) off railroad tracks. That means ride your ATV somewhere other than railroad tracks and rights-of-way (approximately, 50 feet in each direction from the center of the tracks.) Help prevent needless accidents on railroad property, where hundreds of people are killed or injured nationwide each year.

"Train tracks and railroad rights-of-way are not safe places to ride ATVs for recreation or to get to favorite fishing and hunting spots," said Nelson High, CSXT community affairs and safety officer. "It's trespassing. It's illegal. And, spending a few extra minutes getting there legally could save lives, prevent riders from being ticketed by local law enforcement, and prevent train accidents."

Consider the following facts about the dangers of trespassing or riding an ATV on railroad property:

• Train tracks are private property. Walking or riding an ATV on any railroad rights-of-way or other railroad property is trespassing, a Class 3 misdemeanor. Violators will be prosecuted, and could face a maximum fine of $200.00 and up to 20 days in jail.
• Violators risk the possibility of serious, even fatal, injury. Helmets, loud engine noise, wind and weather may muffle the sound of an approaching train until it's too late.
• Trains do not operate on a predictable schedule, and they can move in either direction at any time. Always expect a train!
• Spinning wheels on ATVs can damage rail ties and dislodge ballast making the tracks less stable and creating greater risk of derailments.
• Trains can overhang the tracks by three feet on each side. Straps or other tie downs may extend even farther. Riding an ATV next to the tracks is dangerous.
• ATVs can break down at any time, so don't risk getting stuck on railroad tracks as a train can come at any time! If your ATV gets stuck on or near a track or railway line, immediately contact the rail company using the emergency number prominently posted at crossings, or call 911.
• Locomotives weigh approximately 200 tons. Trains with 100 railcars can weigh more than 6,000 tons. An automobile being hit by a train is proportional to a soda can being hit by a car. An ATV fares even worse.
• Trains cannot stop quickly! A freight train traveling at 55 miles per hour needs more than a mile to stop. That's equal to 18 football fields.

CSXT has posted at every rail crossing a toll free number - 1-800-232-0144 - that citizens should use to call the company's Public Safety Coordination Center to report an unsafe act or accident, including incidents involving ATVs, on CSXT railroad property.

For additional information about CSXT safety programs, contact Nelson High, community affairs and safety officer, at 252-537-2396.

CSX Transportation Inc. is a principal operating company of CSX Corporation (NYSE: CSX). CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Fla., is a leading transportation company providing rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services. The company's transportation network spans approximately 21,000 miles with service to 23 eastern states and the District of Columbia, and connects to more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports. More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at the Company's web site, www.csx.com.

SOURCE CSX Transportation