Union Pacific warns hunters about railroad dangers - WGEM.com: Quincy News, Weather, Sports, and Radio

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Union Pacific Railroad is urging hunters to resist the temptation of hunting near railroad tracks.

The company says its tracks often run through newly harvested farm fields that attract wildlife. That can make railroad property attractive to hunters.

But that's also a good way to get hit by a train.

It can take engineers a mile to stop, so they can't do much to avoid hitting someone on the tracks. And railroad cars hang out about three feet beyond the tracks. It's easy for someone standing near the tracks to be clipped by a car.

Union Pacific says federal records show 411 people died and 361 were injured while trespassing on railroad property around the country last year.