TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The railways were cold Tuesday, the Crimson White reports.

Tracks from Birmingham to Tuscaloosa were cleared, and no trains were scheduled to run their routes as members of Operation Lifesaver and Norfolk Southern joined U.S. congressmen for a press conference in Birmingham that focused on railway safety and awareness.

Following the press conference, representatives from Norfolk Southern, a transportation company, and Operation Lifesaver, a non-profit public education program, climbed into large vehicles designed to ride the rails and journeyed to Tuscaloosa.

"We want to get a bird's eye view and inspect the railways," said Mel Crawley, Superintendent of Norfolk Southern's Alabama Division.

The passengers checked visibility and noted the reactions of motorists at railroad crossings.

In the past three years, the numbers of crashes, annual railroad-related fatalities and injuries have been on the decline, decreasing from close to 200 crashes and 20-plus fatalities in the early 1990s to fewer than 100 crashes and 11 fatalities in 2000.

But data from the first quarter of this year shows a major increase in the number of collisions from previous years. Safety organizations and authorities, concerned about this jump in statistics, are actively trying to change the way people interact with the railway system.

"Always expect a train," said Operation Lifesaver State Coordinator Nancy Hudson. "Anytime is train time."

Hudson pointed out that today's drivers do not want to hear outside noise inside their vehicles, a quality that most automobile companies strive to achieve in their designs. This reduction in outside noise, combined with loud music inside, makes it next to impossible to hear a conductor blowing the horn as required when passing through an intersection.

"People don't understand that they should always yield the right of way to the train. It is a 12 million-pound train against a 3,000-pound car or truck-there's no contest," Hudson said.

Many motorists may not realize that it takes a 150-car freight train traveling at 50 mph approximately one and a half miles to stop.

While Jefferson County was ranked No. 1 in the number of collisions, Tuscaloosa County came in third. And while the number of collisions is large, the number of deaths that result from trespassing is even greater.

Bill Hughes, manager of Safety-Grade Crossing West at Norfolk Southern, said people do not realize the danger involved with train tracks.

On some college campuses, students play drinking games involving railroad tracks, such as placing a beer on the rails, taking a drink and moving it further down the tracks for the next person, seeing how far they can get -- not the safest way to spend a Saturday night.

Aside from dares and games, injuries also occur with cyclists, hunters and pedestrians.

"Don't chance it," Hudson said. "Even if you tie, you lose."