MARYSVILLE—State regulators approved $12,067.69 in funding from the Grade Crossing Protective Fund (GCPF) to purchase one aerial drone and accessories for trespass enforcement along more than ten miles of BNSF railroad tracks that run through Marysville.
The project will provide one drone to the Marysville Police Department. The device shows live aerial surveillance of the railroad tracks, including areas that are blocked at eye level by vegetation and buildings.
There are 23 at-grade railroad crossings within Marysville and 12 trespass or grade-crossing fatalities have occurred along this rail line since 2012. The new drone is expected to help law enforcement detect trespassers and respond faster to incidents along the railroad.
In 1969, the Legislature created the GCPF program to provide funding for safety measures to reduce accidents and fatalities at public and private crossings and along railroad tracks.
The UTC regulates railroad safety, including approving new grade crossings and closing or altering existing rail crossings, investigating train accidents, inspecting public railroad crossings, approving safety projects, and managing safety education through Operation Lifesaver.
Source: Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
