Pedestrian railroad safety in the United States

Pedestrian railroad safety is concerned with the protection of life through regulation, management and technology development of all forms of rail transportation. In the United States there are some 180,000 miles of track. Pedestrian railroad accidents are the leading cause of death on railways. More than 7,200 pedestrians have been killed by trains in the United States since 1997.
Train-pedestrian fatalities.
Pedestrian railroad accidents are the leading cause of death on railways. More than 7,200 pedestrians have been killed by trains in the United States since 1997. An additional 6,400 have been injured. Each year on average about 500 are killed. Between 2001 and 2011, the number of deaths involving trains and motor vehicles dropped 42% to 248. In the same period, deaths involving pedestrians only fell 6% to 434, the Federal Railroad Administration reported. In 2014, every week in the United States, about 16 people were killed by trains.
The most populous states have the greatest number of train fatalities. In 2014, California had 141 deaths.
Railroad industry response.
The railroad industry has supported educational initiatives like Operation Lifesaver. The industry also may stage an enforcement blitz or put up "No Trespassing" signs.
Criticism.
The railroad industry has been criticized for taking the response that pedestrians on train tracks are trespassing on private property and thus they do not need to take steps to prevent people from walking across train tracks.
Governmental oversight.
Federal government.
The United States Department of Transportation administers various regulatory bodies, the most relevant to railway safety being the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). DOT oversees the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center. Volpe and FRA conduct much of the available research on pedestrian railway safety.
Engineering.
Fences.
Some have called for fencing along known trespassing hot spots in order to prevent the number of pedestrian deaths. After several deaths in Villa Park, Illinois, safety advocates built fences at spots where people would often walk across train tracks.
GIS data in Google maps.
In June 2015, the Federal Railroad Administration announced a railway safety initiative with Google that would include the FRAs GIS data into its mapping services. The data pinpoints the location of over 250,000 rail crossings in the United States. The FRA believes that providing the location of rail crossings in maps will enhance crossing safety by people who are using navigation systems while driving.
Motion-detection cameras.
After two children were killed by a CSX train on a Bridge near the Erie Canal, motion-detection cameras were installed on the bridge, which sent images to a security company. If the company detected somebody on the tracks, a message on the speaker said: “Warning: You are trespassing on private property and are in danger of being struck by a train. Leave the area immediately.”
Pedestrian bridge.
Pedestrian bridges have been used to help prevent train pedestrian fatalities. After the 2005 death of a young boy, the city of San Jose, California built a pedestrian overpass.
Education and awareness.
Operation Lifesaver.
Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit association, was co-founded in the 1970s by Union Pacific Railroad, and has been criticized as having a pro-railroad agenda. In 2017, Operation Lifesaver, Inc. awarded $217,000 for rail safety public awareness campaigns in 15 states.
Criticism.
Operation Lifesaver has been criticized for its strong ties to the railroad industry and the groups skew toward the railroad industry. The group also has been criticized for not focusing more on pedestrian railroad accidents. The industry has reduced its support of the group's efforts by providing fewer workers to help spread the group's safety message.
DuPage Railroad Safety Council.
The DuPage Railroad Safety Council (DRSC) is a non-profit organization committed to preventing deaths and injuries at railroad crossings and along railways in DuPage County and all around the United States.