Listen
- A sign warns truck drivers of moving trains at the Greens Port Terminal at the Port of Houston. (Photo Credit: Gail Delaughter )
- Crashed vehicle at the Port of Houston reminds truck drivers of the dangers of railroad crossings. (Photo Credit: Gail Delaughter )
- Truck drivers at the Port of Houston get a vivid rail safety reminder.
- Carolyn Cook with the Federal Railroad Administration displays warning sign with a number to call in case of a grade crossing emergency. (Photo Credit: Gail Delaughter )
- Sign displays number to call in case of an emergency at a railroad grade crossing. (Photo Credit: Gail Delaughter )
- A truck departs the Greens Port Terminal at the Port of Houston. (Photo Credit: Gail Delaughter)
- Officials talk rail safety at the Port of Houston. (Photo Credit: Gail Delaughter )
- Port Terminal Railroad locomotive. (Photo Credit: Gail Delaughter )
- Locomotive at the Greens Port Terminal at the Port of Houston. (Photo Credit: Gail Delaughter )
- Houston Community College training truck at the Port of Houston. (Photo Credit: Gail Delaughter )
On an average day, hundreds of big rigs pour through the gates of the Greens Port Terminal in east Houston. To get there they have to cross over one of the port's short-haul railroad tracks. And there's an ominous warning sign telling them to expect moving rail cars at any moment.
Dalton Tingle is with the safety organization Operation Lifesaver of Texas. He says when truck drivers come up on a railroad crossing, they have to make sure they can get their rig all the way across without having to stop.
"It's hung low," says Tingle. "And they could get hung up on those crossings. But there are signs at these crossings that lets them know there is a danger at these crossings and they need to be more aware."
And Carolyn Cook with the Federal Railroad Administration says everyone who crosses a railroad track needs to be aware, and that includes walkers and cyclists.
"So if you see the train approaching, the very safest thing to do is wait for the train," says Cook. "The train has the right of way but also a train is a very large object and it can take a mile or more to stop."
In 2016 there were 232 crashes around Texas involving vehicles and trains. 22 people were killed.
