Union Pacific Safety Train Makes Whistle Stop in Arlington
The Union Pacific Safety Train made a stop in downtown Arlington
this week.
Arlington officials got a sneak peek at Union Pacific’s exclusive
heritage cars, which tours the country as a traveling educator for
railroad safety. The tours promote Operation Lifesaver Program,
which includes reduction enforcement quiet zones, camera crossing
enforcement and general railroad operations.
Mayor Robert Cluck and other City officials greeted the train and
boarded to experience the grand old style of passenger travel. The
train might look similar to years gone by, but these days the cars
are pulled by new 4,000-horspower locomotives that are high tech and
fuel efficient with low-emission engines that represent cleaner and
greener ways to move freight.
But the general idea surrounding this week’s brief stop was
railroad-crossing safety.
According to Operation Lifesaver, Texas leads the country in
railroad-crossing deaths with about 42 people killed in highway/rail
crossing collisions per year and another 51 killed trespassing on
railroad rights of way.
