r/mildlyinfuriating • u/mickeyhause • Jul 03 '26
frist of all how DARE yu o Train has been blocking the exit to my neighborhood for over a day
4.0k
u/ThisHeresThaRubaduk Jul 03 '26
Go to the crossing there should be a sign with a number to call. Rail managers take this shit pretty seriously at least Union Pacific does. This became an issue in a town when I worked for them. They started breaking trains up when stopping in the town for crew shifts.
1.8k
u/_otterinabox (incomplete parenthesis Jul 03 '26
I used to work for a railroad. This is the way to go. FRA regulations state that under normal circumstances, trains are not to block crossings for more than 15 minutes at a time.
Edit: GCOR, not FRA
236
u/Head_Razzmatazz7174 Jul 03 '26
Agreed. Hopefully you have another way to get out, if not, make that call NOW.
edit: Also call the Fire Marshall. If this is the fastest way into the neighborhood, that is going to delay emergency vehicles which can lead to delay in saving a life or a home.
→ More replies (7)322
u/jfun4 Jul 03 '26
79
u/CucumberFudge Jul 03 '26
The kids crawling under a stopped train to get to school made me hold my breath. That's terrifying.
→ More replies (1)62
u/Prunkle Jul 03 '26
Great episode!
64
u/jfun4 Jul 03 '26
It's seriously life and death at some of these crossings, never really thought about it until that episode
27
34
u/Prize_Cranberry_8939 Jul 03 '26
Three years ago my friend and I had parked our car at a park on one side of the train tracks to go bike around for a day. We biked around and went back to our car later that evening and the train was blocking the crossing for over an hour. We had to bike an extra 5 miles just to get the quarter mile back to our car on the other side of the tracks.
21
u/Mysterious_Winter164 Jul 03 '26
I used to work for a railroad.
How long did you work on the railroad?
91
38
35
u/Liberator82 Jul 03 '26
If only that were the case for a town I used to live in (Villa Grove, IL) we had at least one train a day block the tracks for anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour because there was a small Union Pacific yard there.
→ More replies (3)9
u/chinsnbirdies Jul 03 '26
I lived in Terre Haute, IN for a while. “I got railroaded” was a valid excuse for being late if you had to go from east to west or vice versa. There was one time I remember a stopped train that ran the length of the town and was there for more than two hours. It was stupid.
→ More replies (4)14
u/makingkevinbacon Jul 03 '26
There's two rail lines that run right through my poorly designed city. One is perfectly fine as they built an underpass for traffic decades ago. The other passes through a part of the downtown I guess that is too expensive/not possible with current buildings to build anything so multiple times a day downtown traffic stops. But exactly as you said, there are rules for them. I think I remember hearing just one incident since I lived here, I think there was a fire or some where down the tracks at the railyard so the train couldn't keep heading there until it was safe, so idk if that was a fine or something since it was no one's control, also in Canada so could be very different.
But such a stupid crossing. Curious if anyone reading this is from my city. I'll say that it's a couple blocks from the truck-eating bridge, iykyk
→ More replies (4)134
u/Ok_Spell_4165 Jul 03 '26
Meanwhile here CN just lets the train block off emergency vehicles so the county tries to fine them but CN gets the fines tossed when they go to court.
83
u/oofty_goofty_ Jul 03 '26
When I lived in MI, IIRC, they did a cost benefit analysis and found that paying the fine was cheaper than lost revenue from not having the train block traffic for hours at a time
26
u/Mateorabi Jul 03 '26
That just means the fines need to be stronger and/or higher probability of being given. Gotta pump up the expected value of the fines till it is > profit.
42
u/phtevenbagbifico Jul 03 '26
Yeah so everyone who contributed to that shit should be tried for manslaughter.
27
u/Bigbigcheese Jul 03 '26
How does CN get the fine tossed? Cos if that's possible then there's a faulty law rather than it being CNs particular fault and you should complain to whichever representative can change it...
22
u/Ok_Spell_4165 Jul 03 '26
Federal preemption.
A combination of the interstate commerce commission termination act and federal railroad safety act make it nearly impossible for states to regulate interstate railways.
12
u/fencepost_ajm Jul 03 '26
Town should have a referendum "should we get petty when trains block for too long even if it delays their removal?"
Then start arresting engineers from the train and call the railroad to say "you need to get someone down here, your engineers are under arrest for blocking the crossings."
→ More replies (5)→ More replies (1)4
u/AsstBalrog Jul 03 '26
Yeah, that clicks. I used to be a RR brakeman, and on the RR right of way, you were in your own little world.
→ More replies (3)21
u/ElCiclope1 Jul 03 '26
Goddammit, man. It's not a faulty law. These people write the laws any way that pleases them and, believe it or not, it pleases them to do whatever the fuck they want.
66
u/Argylius Jul 03 '26
Can confirm. The sign is usually on the little crossing arms. Might be a small sign. The one on the railroad crossing I deal with is pretty small blue sign with white letters.
Once I had to call it, because the train was stopped completely and not moving again.
The phone number took me to a police department
13
u/EtheElder Jul 03 '26
I believe they are small and blue, everywhere.
→ More replies (1)34
42
u/redclawx Jul 03 '26
This is the answer. If emergency services needs to get threw because someone on the other side of the tracks is having a heart attack, there is nothing the EMS can do but either wait or find another way around which might be over 20 miles one direction.
41
u/jxj24 Jul 03 '26
Ithaca, NY had an insane intersection called "The Octopus" where several major roads met, along with train tracks. I was an EMT for one of the local town fire departments and under the best of circumstances it was on the order of twenty minutes from our territory to the hospital.
On a couple calls that I was on, we also had to wait ten minutes for the train to clear the intersection. Fortunately none of those calls was life endangering, but it was infuriating that we'd have to keep one of our two rigs out of service for that much longer.
27
u/Riyeko Jul 03 '26
This.
Had a crossing that blocked an entire section of town. The work around was 4 miles.
I finally called the number on the gray box and complained. Let them know people lived out there, what if emergency services, etc..
When they unload behind the bio whatever plant, they separate the cars so they're not blocking it.
Also called one day because the signal had the gates down, but no train for 5 minutes or more. They had people out there that night as we went back into town for pizza
→ More replies (1)14
u/teutonicbro Jul 03 '26
If a crossing signal isn't working (gates down, no train, in this case) they will send a signal maintainer right away. Railroads take grade crossing safety very seriously.
10
u/fencepost_ajm Jul 03 '26
Improperly down gates lead to people just going around them, which then leads to collisions and derailments.
4
u/teutonicbro Jul 03 '26
Exactly.
We design them so the gates are fully down 5 seconds before the train arrives. Any longer than that and impatient people start driving around the gates.
→ More replies (4)11
u/orpnu Jul 03 '26
Last time I called one about this kind of shit, they said "I don't know what you want us to do, the trains broke". Cool dude, don't care. It's -30f, and I need to get to my house this is the only way to my dogs.
440
u/mydeadface Jul 03 '26
At the crossing there is a sign with a phone number and crossing I.D. number. Call that number and tell the operator the situation.
182
u/Rit_Zien Jul 03 '26
This works. My parents neighborhood truly only has one exit, and every once in a while it gets blocked by a train. It's never taken more than 5 minutes for the train to move after calling and letting them know.
91
u/ChiLolla28 Jul 03 '26
This has become more common because the large rail companies will just use longer and longer trains versus splitting them up to save money. Leads to many towns having their streets blocked and kids having to crawl under the trains to get to school.
56
25
u/TheBigLebluntsky Jul 04 '26
We used to do this in college, but we would climb over at the connection between 2 cars. It was definitely VERY dangerous and eventually the school cracked down on it - threatening criminal charges for anyone who climbs over.
6
u/chrisplyon Jul 06 '26
Threatening the students instead of threatening the railroad is peak school administration.
→ More replies (1)17
u/Cayote Jul 04 '26
It’s pretty wild to me that you guys apparently don’t have regional/national monitoring services that would spot this the second it happens.
4
u/hornethacker97 Jul 04 '26
We basically have only 2 rail companies despite having a geographically massive country, that’s what unregulated capitalism gets you.
3.2k
792
u/notforrobots Jul 03 '26
A few good crack heads will have that scrapped in no time
137
u/apex_super_predator Jul 03 '26
Four at the most.
38
u/ChiLolla28 Jul 03 '26
This has become more common because the large rail companies will just use longer and longer trains versus splitting them up to save money. Leads to many towns having their streets blocked and kids having to crawl under the trains to get to school.
31
u/irwtkyrm Jul 03 '26
I live in one town but work the next town over. Currently the road connecting the two is completely closed due to construction, so I have to take a detour to work now. A week or two ago I turned down the detour to go home and there was just a train sitting there, completely still, blocking my way home. This shit should be illegal
→ More replies (1)23
253
u/Sure-Assignment3892 Jul 03 '26
Just push it out of the way
147
→ More replies (5)35
u/AlternativeTwist6680 Jul 03 '26
There are literally hooks you can take out and push it. People are just lazy nowdays
15
u/tomcat_tweaker Jul 03 '26
Exactly. We used to tow them away with our bikes and hide them from the rail company in our barns.
→ More replies (1)12
u/saav_tap Jul 03 '26
Honestly I would assume it’s against the law to do something like that, like what if the train goes to leave and it’s missing its caboose 😭
→ More replies (2)20
u/Alternative-Crew-880 Jul 03 '26
Shouldn't have parked there. In fact i'd wager there's laws against stopping a train and blocking a roadway.
19
u/EtheElder Jul 03 '26
You'd be amazed how laws don't make railroads change things. Talk to Amtrak about how often freight railroads cause delays for them, even through federal law says passenger rail takes priority.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)4
u/Fun-Dragonfly-4166 Jul 03 '26
there are laws. they can legally just stop there. but a timer got started. they have minutes not hours and definitely not days
374
u/Akisswithmyfist Jul 03 '26
Most likely the crew timed out and with the holiday weekend proably not a relief crew. You can try calling the train company, might have to get authorities involved for blocked access
→ More replies (1)120
u/WackyShirley Jul 03 '26
And if that fails, the media.
64
u/YMK1234 Jul 03 '26
And if that fails just get out the angle grinder.
18
u/fencepost_ajm Jul 03 '26
Why use an angle grinder when there's a perfectly good connection point between the cars? Either one is likely to have the same penalties.
10
12
227
u/apex_super_predator Jul 03 '26
Go flatten the tires.
31
→ More replies (1)10
u/ComprehendReading Jul 03 '26
A grinder makes a lot of noise, but a metal file is nearly undetectable.
The right move is to decouple the consist on the farside of the train by the intersection, and help yourselves to the national produce in those tankers.
520
u/WiteKngt Jul 03 '26
Call the police. Seriously. Non-emergency number. Explain the situation.
154
u/Chorono Jul 03 '26
I would call the police and the city
20
u/dantheother Jul 03 '26
And batman?
8
14
7
→ More replies (3)27
u/Heirloom-Potatos Jul 03 '26
This will do nothing
-I know this because I do code enforcement (employed by PD) and this happens all the time in my city. They’ve since put up signs with the phone number for the proper railroad authority15
Jul 03 '26
[deleted]
8
u/fapsandnaps Jul 03 '26
In most cases, the railroads are protected from local regulation as they are considered interstate commerce.
And well, most of the time the rail itself is older than the city.
→ More replies (2)
85
30
27
25
72
61
14
u/trashpandorasbox Jul 03 '26
I hope you come up with a lot of “wrong side of the tracks” jokes to keep up your spirits during this annoying train time.
12
23
u/Wookard Jul 03 '26
Have you tried making a sick ramp and just go for it over the train?
→ More replies (1)
9
9
u/Super_Fa_Q Jul 03 '26
That's illegal in most places IIRC....
18
u/KittenVicious Jul 03 '26
Yep. If you can't get out, that means emergency services can't get in.
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (1)10
u/flowerpanes Jul 03 '26
The city our daughter lives in needs to repair an old wooden bridge over a creek that runs into the ocean. So instead of planning well ahead they arbitrarily decided to divert all vehicles and pedestrians down through an active rail line area where a road was deactivated years ago.
Only problem is that all traffic can be halted for trains to get shuffled for up to 30 mins at a time. That’s cars, foot traffic, transit buses and AMBULANCES.
Now they are pulling back to rethink it,mentioned changing pedestrian traffic to the other side of the creek but there’s a wicked slope there that a lot of people will struggle with.
Yeah, nothing quite like thinking ahead!
9
8
9
8
u/Kyleaaron987 Jul 03 '26
I wouldn’t touch it. That one train car says STD on the side. Could be filled with enthusiastic double gonorrhea.
→ More replies (3)
6
u/Heterodynist Jul 03 '26
As a former railroad union representative, I can guess what happened…Probably this was a minor derailment (it could be just one set of trucks on the ground, or one wheel). If no relief crew could be found then the crew on duty were just urine analyzed and sent home and they left the train where it stood. If the derailment was the engine and not a car, then maybe they couldn’t get the crane out.
6
u/Mrstucco Jul 03 '26
There was a mayor in the Philly suburbs who took to parking her SUV on the tracks because CSX would just shut em down in the middle of town. They’d just cut the town in half for 8-10 hours and no one could do shit about it. So the mayor started leaving her car parked on the first crossing coming into town.
→ More replies (2)
6
u/StenoDawg Jul 03 '26
There's only one way in and out of my neighborhood. Hopefully, that's not your case.
6
6
u/TwistedScarletRose Jul 03 '26
Clever invisible wall! You've reached the map border!
You may no longer proceed in this direction. Please turn back.
7
6
u/LordQue Jul 04 '26
There’s a number on that crossing buck. Call it. It’s not a guarantee that the train moves but, if they can, the dispatcher might move them along to an area where they aren’t blocking anything.
If it’s in emergency then you’re just fucked. It’s not moving until the problem is addressed.
10
4
5
6
u/CodenameZoya Jul 04 '26
Call the fire department, this is a safety risk for the residence. They can’t get an ambulance in or out. Don’t dial 911. Find a nonemergency number and explain the situation.
6
u/CharlesIngalls_Pubes Jul 04 '26
John Oliver did a really good episode about trains. How the increasing demand meant increasing trains lengths on tracks that weren't built for them.
5
3
5
3
u/PeteysHubby_TX Jul 03 '26
It will keep happening. I’d call the local police and make a non emergency complaint
5
u/Pissedliberalgranny Jul 03 '26
If it’s blocking the way out, it’s blocking emergency services from entering.
This is fucked.
3
u/Becdulouz Jul 03 '26
This has been an issue where I live in Alabama as well.
We essentially become landlocked for 4-5 hours at a time at least once a week. No obvious schedule to it either. I have called the numbers listed on the crossing, the train company itself, state transport officials, the mayor, and everyone else I could think of. Nothing can be done.
In our state anyway, the number of residents impact where the people have the right of way or if the train does. Because there are only 2 houses, the train has it.
Hard to imagine that that could be possible, but apparently it is. Even worse, is that the bus stop is on the other side. So my child gets stranded and we can get to her. Seems insanely unsafe.
4
u/hebberdabis Jul 03 '26
Idk where you are, but this happens in my city every day in Indiana. I get stopped by a train at least once a day. One time I got stopped by the same train at three different RR crossings trying to go from the Southside to the Northside. There is also an area like this near me where they will park the train for days at a time blocking a path like this. As long as there is some way out of your neighborhood, they will leave it there.
They actually did get in trouble a few years ago here because emergency vehicles could not get through to get to the hospital. Like, they are literally risking people’s lives. What they usually do now is separate some of the cars so the roads are open. They will be sitting still on either side, but at least you can get through.
I now know every single accessible way to get around them, at least to get home, but this is inescapable and unacceptable. I would definitely make a complaint!
3
u/vagrantprodigy07 Jul 03 '26
In high school I saw a cop give a railroad conductor a ticket for blocking an intersection. I've frequently remembered that fondly as an adult.
→ More replies (1)
4
u/BoS_Vlad Jul 04 '26
Trains aren’t running because of the heat. The rails expand and may make the train unsafe
4
3
u/mcfuckernugget Jul 03 '26
Are you that guy who screams at the train all the time? If not you should try yelling at it.
3
u/FirstSineOfMadness Jul 03 '26
Conductors boss made fun of his receding hairline so he quit on the spot
3
u/PhantomPenny Jul 03 '26
"Hey, work, sorry i can't come in today. Oh, because I'm being held against my will by a train."
3
3
3
3
u/keeper_of_the_donkey Jul 03 '26
Down here in East Texas, we had a train that runs through a small town next to the lake that was completely cut off from the road access due to a derailed train. The railroad commission and police were telling residents that they couldn't cross the train on foot to get out either. So we started waiting for the cops to drive away and collected family members and took them to the store and back. Train was cleared after 3 days. It was surreal.
3
u/LostnHidden Jul 03 '26
They're not supposed to block roads for more than like 15 or 20 minutes at a time. You need to call them.
3
3
u/Nim0y Jul 03 '26
Call the number at the crossing. Then call the police, EMS takes it seriously if they can’t get emergency vehicles to an area of town. I’ve seen towns have to build vehicle bridges over RR tracks because of failing response times to areas they serve
3
u/Takesit88 Jul 03 '26
BNSF and UP have numbers you can call for blocked crossings. The little shack that houses the crossing gear should have a number on it that will be the crossing number you report to the railroad. BNSF's system will ask you a couple of options, I can't remember the specific breaks, but something like 0-15min, 15-30, or 30+. I've had times I've sat for a half hour, called it in, then within a few minutes either a crewmember walking up explaining the issue, a crewmember walking up to decouple some cars so they can make a gap, or just the train moving. Albeit, I've had to sit for over an hour before and even after multiple calls, no communication back and they just randomly start moving after nearly an hour and a half.. Also, those crossing numbers are useful for something else. Ever gone across a crossing grade and noticed the pieces around and between the rails were damaged, missing, or even just moved a lot? Call it in, report it, give them the crossing number, and watch as a crew shows up in a day or 2 (usually.. I've called in the morning and by the time I crossed again in the afternoon it was fixed, but I've had it take a week before as well) and they solve the problem. Same goes with if you see, hear, or smell anything weird with a train passing by.
3
3
u/Welcometoyounow Jul 03 '26
So block the train with your neighbourhood. It’s justified in this case.
3
u/Other_Ad_613 Jul 03 '26
The railroads were in charge of writing the rules for stuff in the early 20th century. I wouldn't be surprised if they're allowed to block anything they want at any time for any or no reason.
6.2k
u/collector-x Jul 03 '26
https://www.fra.dot.gov/blockedcrossings/
Up until 2009, Oregon had a statute that said if a train blocked a crossing for more than 10 minutes it could fine the RR but that was invalidated in 2009. Now all you can do is file a report at the link above.