The Nebraska State Patrol along with the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office is teaming up with Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad in an effort to reduce the potential for serious injury and fatality crashes involving rail crossings.

On Wednesday, October 22, a trooper and a deputy will join the crew of a BNSF train to ride the rails between South Sioux City and the Dakota County border as part of the “Officer on a Train” exercise. During the ride, if an officer witnesses a motorist violating a crossing, they will make contact with their counterpart on the roadway to conduct a traffic stop.

Statistics from the Federal Railroad Administration show from January-through-September there have been five highway-rail fatalities at railroad crossings in Nebraska. That compares with two highway-rail fatalities recorded in Nebraska in 2013.

According to Operation Lifesaver Nebraska, most collisions occur with trains traveling less than 30 mph, and nearly half of all collisions occur at crossings equipped with active warning devices.

“Everybody loses when someone tries to save time by beating a train at a crossing,” said Colonel David Sankey, Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. “From the motorist to the train crew, we want everyone to make it home safely.  Always stop, look and listen and never go around crossing arms.”