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Union Pacific says hunting near tracks may be deadly

Pictured here in 2009, proposed lines in Springfield, Ill. for the Chicago/St. Louis high-speed rail route.
(via Flickr/aka Kath)
Pictured here in 2009, proposed lines in Springfield, Ill. for the Chicago/St. Louis high-speed rail route.

Union Pacific Railroad is urging hunters to resist the temptation of hunting near railroad tracks.

The company says its tracks often run through newly harvested farm fields that attract wildlife. That can make railroad property attractive to hunters, but it's also a good way to get hit by a train.

It can take engineers a mile to stop, so they can't do much to avoid hitting someone on the tracks.  Railroad cars hang out about three feet beyond the sides of the tracks, making it easy for someone standing near the tracks to be clipped by a car.

Union Pacific says federal records show 411 people died and 361 were injured while trespassing on railroad property around the country last year.

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