Do trains stopped at railway crossings drive you nuts? Oklahoma can now fine railroads

That train you’re stuck waiting on at a railroad crossing could get fined for lollygagging — if you’re in Oklahoma.

The state enacted a law Monday that allows police to fine railroad companies up to $1,000 if a train blocks an intersection for more than 10 minutes.

There are exceptions, though. If the train is stopped for an emergency or it’s moving in a continuous forward or backward direction, it’s not a problem, according to a guide about the law. The idea behind the law is to ensure emergency responders aren’t blocked from getting to people who need help and to improve traffic for drivers, according to KWTV.

Whether this law gets enforced is another question. Some city leaders told KFOR that towns are still figuring out if they’ll give out tickets.

“Our hope is to be able to continue working with BNSF. We’ve been working with them for years on issues we have in our community,” Edmond spokesperson Casey Moore told the Oklahoma City TV station. “We have talked to them about a potential solution that would keep trains from blocking crossings in Edmond.”

As for Oklahoma’s neighbors to the north and south, Kansas and Texas drivers may have to continue waiting on trains without consequences for the railroad companies.

Texas had a law removed from its books in 2005 after an appeals court determined federal law overrules state anti-blocking statutes, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

Just last year, BNSF challenged a 100-year-old law that barred trains from blocking intersections for over 10 minutes, according to The Wichita Eagle. BNSF’s attorneys argued the issue is up to federal law because trains operate in interstate commerce, the McClatchy newspaper reported.

BNSF won that case and the Kansas law was erased, according to KAKE.