For Immediate Release – September 17, 2026
Illinois railroad workers urge public to put safety first during rail safety week
SMART-TD Illinois highlights crossing safety, trespass prevention and new school rail-safety law
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois railroad workers are asking drivers, pedestrians and families to make safe choices around tracks and trains as See Tracks? Think Train!® Week is observed Sept. 21-27.
SMART-TD Illinois State Director Bob Guy said the week provides an opportunity for railroad workers to share a perspective the public rarely sees: A train crew can recognize a dangerous situation ahead and still be physically unable to stop in time.
“The train can’t swerve. It can’t stop quickly. You can,” Guy said. “That’s why we want people to make the safe decision before they ever enter the tracks.”
An average freight train traveling 55 mph can require more than a mile — roughly 18 football fields — to stop.
The stakes are significant in Illinois, which has approximately 7,300 miles of railroad track and 7,482 public highway-rail crossings. In 2025, Illinois recorded 134 highway-rail crossing collisions resulting in 34 deaths and 27 serious injuries.
SMART-TD is urging motorists to never race a train or drive around lowered crossing gates. Drivers should make certain their entire vehicle can clear the tracks before entering a crossing and should look for another train after the first passes.
If a vehicle becomes stuck on the tracks, Guy said occupants should remember three steps: Get out. Get away. Get help. Once safely away, motorists should use the blue-and-white Emergency Notification System sign at the crossing to report the emergency or call 911 if that information is unavailable.
SMART-TD’s campaign also emphasizes that rail safety extends beyond motorists.
Pedestrians should cross only at designated locations and never use railroad tracks as shortcuts or walking paths. Railroad tracks, trestles and tunnels should not be used for recreation, while photographers should find another location for senior portraits, wedding photographs, selfies or videos.
“Someone on the tracks may see our train and think they still have time,” Guy said. “We may see them from the locomotive and already know they don’t.”
This year, SMART-TD is also highlighting a new Illinois law aimed at teaching those lessons earlier.
Public Act 104-0590 brings basic rail-safety information into K-12 student handbooks. The legislation was advanced by State Rep. Matt Hanson, a SMART-TD member and longtime railroad worker, who brought his firsthand rail experience to the General Assembly.
The law helps reinforce lessons including staying off tracks, using designated crossings, obeying warning signals and understanding the danger of a second train.
Guy said educating children is especially important because they encounter railroad tracks as pedestrians, bicyclists and passengers long before they become drivers.
“We’re never too young to learn rail safety,” Guy said. “If we teach children to respect tracks and trains early, we can help them develop safe habits they carry throughout their lives.”
SMART-TD members will use Rail Safety Week to share safety information throughout their communities and encourage families to continue those conversations after the campaign ends.
“Rail Safety Week lasts seven days, but these decisions matter every day,” Guy said. “Stay off the tracks. Obey the warnings. Always expect a train.”
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