In an effort to increase awareness of safety at railroad crossings, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad partnered with Operation Lifesaver and the North Dakota Highway Patrol Wednesday for the "Officer on the Train" enforcement campaign.
A press release issued in conjunction with the event stated that three people were killed and 10 injured in 14 incidents at rights-of-way or rail crossings in 2008.
Held annually since 1998, the promotion utilizes a member of the Highway Patrol who rides in the locomotive and acts as a spotter. Other troopers who are either "shadowing," or pacing the train, or stationed at crossings can stop motorists observed in violation by the spotter and issued a warning or citation. The train was also observed from above by an airplane the troopers called "Eye in the Sky."
Trooper Jeff Bauske rode the train from Selz to Minot, where Sgt. Darcy Aberle took over on the trip to Stanley and then to Williston. For Bauske, who had shadowed the train previously, it was his first trip in the locomotive.
"I was surprised at how many crossings there actually are," Bauske said. "You know the section lines are every mile, but there are a lot of private crossings to residences or just field crossings."
The majority of the violations the patrol sees are right of way violations such as failure to yield.
"When you see it through the perspective of the engineer, it gives you a different perspective as an enforcement officer," said Sgt. Joseph Knowski, who has ridden on the train before and was in the highway patrol cruiser shadowing the train this year.
Knowski said that inattentiveness by drivers is a large cause of incidents.
"The tragic thing is, it happens during the daylight hours and they hit the side of the train. I don't know how you would miss that," Knowski said.
Aberle said he has been enlightened on previous trips by the amount of work done by the engineers as the huge trains rumble down the tracks.
"It's really interesting to see all the things they have to do in there," said Aberle. "There's a lot of work that goes on."
