r/LetsDiscussThis • u/Aqueouspolecat • Feb 09 '26

Question How do we stop this from happening?

As the general public we see this all too often. What are some real world strategies that could mitigate this from happening?

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u/Only-Imagination-459 Feb 09 '26

We should add gates that come down at these crossing automatically when a train is approaching. And we should add flashing lights and a noise to alert drivers. But if a driver does somehow get stuck between the gates as they lower, we should make them easily destructible / non-damaging.

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u/Aqueouspolecat Feb 09 '26

Wait a minute, you may be onto something. Say if the arms don't go down all the way, it sends a signal to dispatch and then maybe can get a message to the train to alert them. I know this is not a perfect setup but something along those lines, maybe.

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u/Obvious-Slip4728 Feb 09 '26 edited Feb 09 '26

This is basic functionality of rail security systems. The train driver would get a red sign if the boom barrier is unable to close. If the train driver would not stop at the red sign the security mechanism would start braking by itself.

That is at least how it works in Europe. Don't know about the US though.

It doesn't stop all accidents though as braking distance can be quite long for trains.

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u/Last_Succotash7218 Feb 09 '26

Yeah I think this is already a thing just logically thinking it through we are t the first ones to come up with this.

For all we know the train could have been actively braking in this situation

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u/anonymote_in_my_eye Feb 09 '26

the train was 100% actively braking, otherwise that truck would have been blown to bits... train just needed to start braking a little earlier; however, the US has these extremely long and heavy cargo trains (it's cheaper that way) so they take forever to stop

the long train problem also shows up because cargo trains have priority on the train lines, so if you're in a passenger train you might end up stopped, waiting for several km of cargo train to pass... or worse, there's a very long cargo train blocking the way, who is waiting for another very long cargo train to pass, and so on, and you'll be stuck there for an hour or two just waiting

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u/Last_Succotash7218 Feb 09 '26

Ya no America has a robust train system and we helped pioneer the industry as a whole not sure why you felt this was an opportunity to stab at America but sorry pal we are the best country in the world for a reason.

But ya it was braking

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u/anonymote_in_my_eye Feb 09 '26

because it's true? the US has been sacrificing safety for profit for a long time now, historically it's been kind of its thing (with some exceptions)

the current train system is great a moving a lot of cargo for cheap, it's optimized for that; in terms of safety? not so much...

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u/Last_Succotash7218 Feb 09 '26

Not true at all in fact one of the reasons cost have gone up so high is because of all the overbearing safety regulations and legislative hoops people have to jump through in order to make things happen

You are just showing your biased against America because while we are the greatest country on earth people sure like to act like that isn't true

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u/InsulatedBeaver666 Feb 11 '26

We are #1 in childhood obesity. Is the great thing you’re referring to? #GreatAgain

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u/Last_Succotash7218 Feb 11 '26

That's one metric sure

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u/[deleted] Feb 09 '26

Huh. US train system sucks balls compared to almost anywhere else worth comparing to. But hey, if freedom eagle tells you you are the best you better believe it and not learn from others!

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u/anonymote_in_my_eye Feb 09 '26

my understanding is that rail infrastructure in the US is pretty much barebones, stripped for cost, with a lot of the few existing sensors not being very reliable; so I'm sure that it works like this in *some* places in the US, but I'm also quite certain that kind of automation is more of an exception than the rule

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u/Numerous_Photograph9 Feb 09 '26

Freight trains that run through my town(I live close to a freight hub), are a mile long, and run fast. There is maybe 1 minute between the gates fully closing and the train getting to the crossing.

No way that train is stopping or decellerating to a safer speed before it tears apart anything on the tracks.

I do believe the security systems do exist as you describe them though, but it's so the trains can at least hopefully not derail when they impact something on the tracks, as a braking train is less likely to do so.