New NYS trespassing law on railroad property
"Railroad property is supposed to be used for one thing: railroad operations. It is not a place of recreation for people to ride vehicles,
animals, or play around. Strengthening the state’s railroad trespassing laws will help save lives and prevent injuries by keeping individuals
who don’t belong on railroad property off of it," said Senator Fuschillo, Chairman of the Senate’s Transportation Committee. The law prohibits
individuals from trespassing on foot on all railroad property throughout the state. Violators of the law will face class B misdemeanor charges,
punishable by up to three months in jail and a $500 fine. In addition, the law prohibits individuals from trespassing on railroad property
while riding on any motor vehicles, recreational and all-terrain vehicles, or animals. Violators face a fine of up to $250 for a first offense
and up to $500 for subsequent offenses. Prior to the new law, railroad trespassing laws were extremely limited. Only snowmobilers and horseback
riders faced fines for trespassing on railroad property ($100 fine and $10 fine, respectively). Trespassing on railroad property on foot was
only prohibited on Long Island, New York City, and Monroe County. Railroads of New York
(RONY),
a not-for-profit statewide association which
represents the freight railroad industry in New York State, noted in a letter that the new law is needed because "when it comes to enforcing
railroad trespass offenses in New York, law enforcement officials are forced to do so with an outdated law that has only seen a few updates
since the mid nineteenth century." RONY also noted that "trespassing is the most significant cause of death attributable to railroad operations
in New York State." "This legislation will greatly assist police officers in protecting the public while they are using mass transportation.
Trespassing in these particular areas can be extremely dangerous to both the individual and the public and this law will be a useful tool in
dealing with this issue," said Peter Paterson, Legislative Chairman of the New York State Association of PBAs. According to the Federal
Railroad Administration, railroad trespassing accounted for 576 fatalities and 633 injuries in the U.S. last year. The new law took effect on
January 16, 2012.
Norfolk Southern Single Track Project
In the summer of 2010 Norfolk Southern single tracked the Southern Tier line (former Erie) from
Binghamton to Waverly.
Click for photos and a description of the project.
