Railroad Companies Increase Train Lengths, Causing Longer Wait Times For Drivers

Oklahoma towns and cities see a lot of railroad traffic. But if you think trains are longer these days than they used to, it’s because they are.

The Federal Railroad Administration said railroad companies have been increasing train lengths for some time, but especially in the last few years as they try to save money.

Osage SkyNews 6 checked a couple of trains heading through Oologah last week. The Osage SkyNews 6 pilot saw one that had more than 200 cars and another that had almost 300, making it about three miles long.

The FRA said there’s no law that restricts how long trains can be, even though it said they can cause traffic problems and even be dangerous.

Blocked train crossings may cause drivers to go around barricades and pedestrians may be tempted to crawl between stopped rail cars. Stopped trains can also delay emergency vehicles.

The FRA wants to hear from anyone who has had to wait on a train, including first responders. To report, visit the Public Blocked Crossing Incident Reporter here.

You can use that site to quickly report when you had to wait on a train. Be sure to include the date, time, location, and how long the train blocked the crossing.