State railroad officials are urging pedestrians, hunters, and others to resist the urge to take a shortcut along the tracks in an effort to save time. Assistant General Manager for the Iowa Northern Railroad, Mark Vaughn says walking on or near the tracks is illegal and it’s dangerous because it can take a mile or more for a train to stop.
"We also caution everyone on the dangers of crossing on railroad trestles or bridges because those areas are particularly dangerous because there’s no place to go when a train approaches, ” he said.
Earlier this week, a Council Bluffs girl was struck by a train as she crossed from one track to another on her way home from school. She was injured but is expected to recover.
