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