Did You Know?

Train Facts

  • Every weekday, Rail Runner trains make 22 trips through points between Santa Fe and Belen
  • There over 100 crossings in the 96.5 mile Rail Runner corridor
  • Trains are heavy and may travel at high speeds, taking them a long time to stop
  • Trains cannot swerve as they’re running along the train tracks
  • The average train car is 85 feet long and weighs 120 tons (240,000 pounds); that’s the equivalent of 30 elephants!
  • Top speed for the Rail Runner is 79 miles per hour
  • As well as risking your life, being on or near train tracks is a misdemeanor
  • Never throw things at a train or place things on the tracks; you could get hurt or even derail the train
  • At any time of the day, you may find yourself near a train with 2 to 5 rail cars that may or may not stop at a station
  • Not every train crossing is marked with warning bells, lights or gates
  • Even in full emergency, it can take a train a mile or more to stop; if the engineer can see you, it is already too late to stop for you
  • Trains are sometimes pushed by locomotives instead of being pulled
  • Always expect a train, on any tracks, in either direction
  • 90% of all rail deaths are caused by trespassing and vehicles crossing in front of a moving train
  • Where locomotive wheels make contact with the rail the total area is not much larger than a silver dollar
  • If there are two or more tracks, it means two trains can be traveling in the same or different directions at the same time
Rail Safety Card Safety Tips