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Police urge caution around the tracks during Rail Safety Week

Posted at 6:07 PM, Sep 26, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-26 22:36:56-04

A new report from Union Pacific shows that about every three hours, a person or car is hit by a train in the U.S.

Now, as part of Rail Safety Week, local police departments are sharing their tips for staying safe around trains.

Living with trains constantly passing through town is just part of day-to-day life for people in Guadalupe.

“You get used to it, it doesn’t bother you at all,” said Harry Masatani, Guadalupe resident.

Masatani lives right next to one of the many train tracks that divide the city. He’d like to see more people using caution near the tracks.

“They should be more careful about crossing the track, look both directions. Even if you don’t hear it, you can look, but most people don’t look,” Masatani said.

His sentiments are echoed by Guadalupe’s Police Department as they enforce Rail Safety Week.

“The people being patient, that’s what it’s going to take. There’s a lot of safety concerns, there’s a lot going on – you got traffic, you got people that aren’t paying attention,” said Sgt. Carlos Limon of the Guadalupe Police Department.

Guadalupe police officers have been engaging with local schools and stepping up patrols in areas like Main Street, where there was a deadly train and car accident last year.

“It’s just like driving a car every day, you ‘re always looking for other cars. A locomotive is just another automotive, another vehicle, another thing you have to be aware of,” Sgt. Limon explained.

The Guadalupe Police Department suggests everyone always look both ways before crossing the tracks and never stop on the tracks even when traffic backs up.