{"id":6426,"date":"2022-11-10T00:32:58","date_gmt":"2022-11-10T00:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawpedic.com\/?p=6426"},"modified":"2022-11-22T16:03:51","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T16:03:51","slug":"is-it-illegal-to-walk-on-train-tracks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawpedic.com\/is-it-illegal-to-walk-on-train-tracks\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It Illegal to Walk on Train Tracks? (50 State Laws + Fines)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

4 years ago I decided to walk from Kansas City, MO to New York City. Normally I’d walk the highways as this was the easiest way to navigate towards town, though one time I did decide to walk along a railroad track. But at the time it felt like it would be okay but here recently I had started to wonder if me walking on railroad tracks was illegal or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, it’s illegal to walk on train tracks. Given it’s a big safety concern it is also considered “trespassing” and can result in fines or even jail time. Each state has it’s own laws regarding trespassing but if you decide to walk on train tracks and are caught, you could be looking at a $10,000 fine and\/or a maximum of 6 months in jail.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, let me answer some other really interesting questions around this topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Can Happen If You’re Caught Walking On Train Tracks<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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First off, the laws around walking on train tracks vary by state. Some states have specific laws regarding trespassing on railroad property while others may only have general trespassing laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s important to note that these laws can change at anytime and you should look at your respective states laws to verify that they are the most up-to-date!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Is It Dangerous To Walk On Train Tracks<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\"Man<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Now that we’ve gone through each of the states and their laws, why is it dangerous to walk on train tracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I was looking around I found a report on Oli<\/a> that states that “1,121 pedestrian rail trespass casualties (fatalities + injuries) occurred in 2021. There were 599 trespass-related fatalities and 522 trespass injuries across the U.S. in 2021. Approximately 69% of all 2021 trespass casualties occurred in the 15 states listed below.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you can tell, this is the most dangerous reason to not walk on train tracks: getting hit by the darn train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some reasons why train tracks are dangerous:<\/p>\n\n\n\n