Pedestrians with children seen climbing over stopped trains in Southwest Philadelphia

SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Video sent to Action News showed a woman, with a child, climbing over a stopped train in Southwest Philadelphia - and when we went to investigate, we witnessed other people doing the same thing.

The viewer video shows a woman casually walking around the warning signals on a train track, then climbing over the stopped locomotive, all with a baby in tow.

Daniel Righter says he took the video Thursday morning at the tracks along 58th and Woodland Avenue.

"You can see in the video the gentleman who works there tried to stop her twice, and said something to her, and she just wasn't having it," said Righter. "She was going across that train no matter what."

He was so upset by the incident he posted the video to Facebook to warn others.

"Why risk your life over a five-minute wait? It's not worth it. You got to go home," he said. "Like me, I am going home, I got my grandson and my kids to think about. I am not risking my life over a five-minute wait. There is nothing that important that you can't wait."

Righter says this is not the first time he's seen this. In fact, he says it's a daily occurrence.

We went to the area to see it for ourselves and, in a matter of minutes, we caught person after person taking the risk and putting their lives in danger by crossing over a stopped train.

What's more frightening and alarming: we spotted adults taking that risk with kids.

Those living near the tracks fear sooner or later someone will get hurt.

"What's crazy is that you are around schools so it's like, be cautious and tell your children 'if you see those lights flashing don't try to cross those tracks,'" said David Brown.

CSX has seen the video and advises against the dangerous practice.

In statement, CSX said:

At CSX, the safety of our employees and the communities where we operate is our top priority.

With our partners at the non-profit Operation Lifesaver, we work hard to raise awareness about the dangers of railroad tracks, and how you should safely cross them.

Ignoring warning signs and signals at grade crossings is not only illegal, it's extremely dangerous -- climbing on a rail car even more so.

Railroad employees and first responders know this all too well, as they witness the tragic consequences that can occur when safety precautions are ignored.

We find education and awareness to be the best tools in preventing accidents and injuries, and we're committed to reaching as many people as we can.

For more railroad safety tips and materials that can be shared with family and friends, visit OLI.org.

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