Texas Rail Crossing Deaths Rise despite State Plan

DALLAS (AP/Staff) – Deaths at railroad crossings in Texas have doubled in the last year, renewing questions about whether the thousands of miles of track in the state is being safely maintained and monitored. The deaths include not only the Nov. 15 accident in Midland that claimed the lives of four military veterans on a parade float, but an equally horrific accident that killed three generations of one family in Diboll last March. Figures compiled by The Associated Press from federal data and other sources show the spike in fatalities has reached 32. It comes after a four-year period in which Texas had lowered its death toll significantly. It also comes with the state in the midst of implementing a federally mandated plan aimed at improving rail-crossing safety.