The Conductor’s Death Ended a Standard Train Shortcut Procedure

Have you ever seen a conductor standing in the doorway of a moving train or have you stood in one yourself? It looks like fun and you can probably guess it is against the rules and unsafe. However, is it truly that dangerous?

An open door on a train, although rare, is an adventurous sight but there is the chance of falling depending on how close you are to the inner edge of the car. Of course, unlike a plane, there is no danger of being sucked out because air pressure is not an issue. However, a rocking train and an open door are a bad combination.

Train doors, at least on Amtrak, are locked shut unless the train is moving less than three miles per hour. Of course, the floor of a train is high above the tracks by close to seven feet. So even parked, a fall onto the gravel below has a potential for serious injury. At any speed, the potential grows.

Depending on the train and the location, rules usually require passengers to wait in the car and avoid the well between cars until the train stops. This applies even if the door is closed. The danger of a fall is serious, even for professionals.

A conductor falls from a train

In January of 2022, for example, an experienced conductor fell from Amtrak Northeast Regional 163…