Dearborn City Council unanimously passed an ordinance last month to make loitering on railroad property a civil infraction subject to a fine of $200.  

At a meeting last month, council president Susan Dabaja said officers have two options to take action against people found on railroad tracks. They can issue a warning, which could be ignored, or cite them for a misdemeanor charge, “which is a little bit harsh.”

The Federal Railroad Administration says trespassing along railway property is dangerous.

“Nationally, more than 430 trespass fatalities and nearly as many injuries occur each year,” the FRA warns. 

“The vast majority of these are preventable. Most railroad trespassers are pedestrians who use railroad tracks as a shortcut.”