Motran

Permian Rail Safety

Train

SIGNIFICANT DATA POINTS

  • From 2016-2018 there were 158 rail related crashes in the TXDOT Odessa District
  • During that same time period 10 of the 12 counties in the District saw at least 2 or more rail related crashes. (Crane, Ector, Loving, Martin, Midland, Pecos, Reeves, Upton, Ward, and Winkler)
  • From 2016-2018, the area saw a 91% increase in rail related crashes, with all but two counties (Pecos and Martin) seeing an increase
  • 35% of rail related crashes were related to Commercial Motor Vehicles
  • 65% of rail related crashes were with individual vehicle

RAIL CRASHES IN THE TXDOT ODESSA DISTRICT (2016-2022)

COUNTY   2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Total By County
CRANE 0 0 2 0 1 3 0 6
ECTOR 9 10 14 4 11 6 17 71
LOVING 0 0 2 1 1 1 0 5
MARTIN 2 5 1 1 3 4 3 19
MIDLAND 15 20 17 20 14 26 24 136
PECOS 2 2 0 2 0 0 3 9
REEVES 3 9 11 7 2 2 0 34
UPTON 2 0 2 2 0 1 1 8
WARD 2 8 16 10 5 6 4 51
WINKLER 0 2 2 5 2 0 4 15
Total 35 56 67 52 39 49 56 354

IMPORTANT TIPS

  • Crossing Arms and Signals serve a purpose. When they are engaged, do not try to weave through them and beat the train. Even if you can’t see the train, one is on the way. You may feel like you are in a hurry to get somewhere, but unless you’re in a hurry for a date with eternity, trying to beat the train won’t get you there any faster.

 

  • Because of the vantage point of your car looking out at a train, it is very difficult to accurately determine the speed of a train. You may think you have time, but chances are, you don’t.
Rail Safety points
  • Trains in our area are generally very long and very heavy. Just as it takes a semi-truck longer to stop than a passenger vehicle, trains need enormous distances to come to a complete stop or even slow down. It takes a distance of nearly 18 football fields for the average train in our area to come to a complete stop.
StoppingDistanceGraphic
  • Most CMV related rail crashes occur because a truck gets stuck on the tracks or stalls out trying to cross a rail crossing. If you get stuck on the tracks you should immediately contact the Union Pacific hotline below. Let them know which crossing you are at (the crossing identification number is located on the box next to the crossing arms) and they can immediately alert any trains in your area of the danger.

For Help or Emergency, Call Union Pacific RailRoad 1-888-877-7267