California

Deaths at LA County railroads on the rise

A new app lets you look up railroad crossings, report an emergency, and review collision reports at railroad crossings near you, on your mobile phone

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Along railroad tracks in North Hollywood in late May, a person died after being hit by a train. Investigators say the person was in an area where pedestrians are not allowed. 

Only days before, there was a similar incident in Sun Valley. A person died near Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Raymer Street.  

In April, a car landed on the railroad tracks along the 210 freeway and was hit by a train. Police say the driver in this incident ran off.   

These types of accidents are happening more often. Railroad-related incidents reported in the state have increased from one year to the next, according to the most recent Annual Railroad Safety Report from the California Public Utilities Commission.   

“In FY 2021-2022, there were 796 railroad-related incidents reported in California, up from 727 in the previous fiscal year,” according to the report. 

When you look specifically at Los Angeles County, federal data shows a spike in deaths on local railroads from 2020 to last year.   

Source: US DOT Federal Railroad Administration
Source: US DOT Federal Railroad Administration

The state gets millions of dollars each year under a program designed to help eliminate hazards at railway and highway crossings, with some local projects climbing to the top of the list.  

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The CPUC says one of the locations on the priority list for projects in LA County is the Slater Avenue crossing between 110th and 111th streets.  There are no active warning devices at this crossing.   

The agency says there have been no records of deaths at this location, but one neighbor, who did not wish to be identified, says there is often trash, other large items and people on the tracks.  

While the NBC4 I-Team was at the location this week, we saw a man sitting on the tracks and another man riding his bike along the rails.  

The NBC4 I-Team found work to improve this crossing is still some time off. The CPUC says this project is still in the engineering phase.  

Caltrans data shows the Slater Avenue crossing will cost more than $991,000 dollars, with a completion date of 2025.  

The Federal Railroad Administration told the I-Team it is sending teams throughout the state to inspect grade crossings next month.  

If you have a concern about a crossing near you, there is now a new tool to look up railroad crossings and even collision reports at those crossings. 

The Rail Crossing Locator App allows emergency responders and the public to access information in FRA’s highway-rail grade crossing database and a variety of map features from a mobile device, according to the FRA. 

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