Trains are a huge draw for people of all ages. There’s something about those lumbering monstrosities of steel, rumbling down the tracks, whistles blowing, that is evocative of the past while still being wholly rooted in the present.

There’s no doubt that being caught at a railroad crossing while a train crawls by can be frustrating, but everyone has seen the often tragic results of those who try to beat a train to the crossing; the tragedies of those who neglect to heed the warning signs and stay well back from the tracks when a railroad and a stoplight coincide.

That’s why the North Carolina Department of Transportation has issued a warning this year. In 2014, 20 North Carolinians were struck and killed by trains. This year, those numbers are heading in the same direction: so far, nine people have been killed this year.

In Washington, the train trestle that runs across the Pamlico River is a popular place. Adults and children are on those tracks all the time — the tracks are adjacent to the town park of Havens Gardens, so that only makes sense. But what many people don’t know is that walking on those tracks, and even on the land immediately beside them, the “right of way,” is illegal. It’s considered trespassing.

Many trains don’t run on a strict timetable, which is why NCDOT is warning that there’s never a safe time to be on any railroad track.

“Trains cannot stop quickly to avoid hitting someone on the tracks, and they certainly cannot swerve. The train will likely hit you before you can get out of the way. This means that if you are on the tracks it is possible that a train would not be able to stop in time to avoid hitting you,” reads a press release from NCDOT.

As alluring as the tracks at Havens Gardens may be, especially as they leave land and travel over the river, adults and children should steer clear. There are plenty of other places to explore throughout the county that hold far fewer dangers.