Trains are part of the fabric of life in northern Iowa. Every day in the Fort Dodge area, people hear train horns, perhaps close by, perhaps off in the distance.

And every day, people in the area see tracks. Sometimes, they drive over them. Sometimes they walk across them.

But because of the huge difference in size, trains and vehicles or pedestrians don’t mix well.

To explain the difference in simplest terms, Jeffrey Price, a special agent with the Canadian National Railway Police, uses the example of a car and a soda can. Everyone knows what happens when a car hits a soda can — the can gets squashed. The same thing — only worse — happens when a train hits a vehicle or person.

“The train is always going to win so you don’t want to put yourself at risk,” Price said.

During this week, designated Rail Safety Week, Canadian National, which has tracks and a rail yard in Fort Dodge, is stressing ways that drivers and pedestrians can stay safe around tracks.

Price echoed the motto of rail safety organization Operation Lifesaver: “See Tracks, Think Train.”

“Always expect a train on any track, in any direction at any time,” he said.

Staying alert around the tracks is key, he said, because trains are actually moving faster than they appear to be and, despite their size, can be remarkably quiet.

Drivers approaching a grade crossing obviously have to stop for flashing red lights and a cross arm blocking the lane.

At crossings marked only by a white X-shaped sign, they are required to yield, according to Price.

“If you see a train, stop,” he said. “If you’re ever in doubt, stop.”

Pedestrians, he said, should not be on the tracks at all.

The “golden rule,” he said, is that everything within 25 feet of the center of the tracks is railroad property and off-limits. Being in that area constitutes trespassing which can be prosecuted, he said.

Price said students should forget about having their yearbook photos taken on the tracks. That is trespassing, he said.

People who need to get from one side of the tracks to the other should do so only at a grade crossing.

“The only safe place to cross over a set of railroad tracks is a railroad crossing,” he said.

People also need to stay off of railroad bridges, he added. He said that most railroad bridges are only wide enough to hold a train. That means a person will have nowhere to go if they get out on a bridge and a train comes.

Railroad safety tips

Expect a train on any track at any time.

Drivers should always be prepared to stop when approaching a grade crossing.

Pedestrians should stay off the tracks and cross them only at grade crossings.

Never pose for photos on the tracks.

Crossing signs provide vital information.

Posted near every railroad grade crossing is a small blue sign with a bunch of numbers on it.

Jeffrey Price, a special agent for the Canadian National Railway Police, said those signs have information that is key if there is an accident or other problem at the crossing.

He said the signs have a phone number for the railroad that owns the tracks. They also have an identification number that can be used to pinpoint the location of the crossing.

Price said anyone who observes a problem at a crossing should call the number on the blue sign and give the railroad employees the identification number of the crossing.