Risk factors for a pedestrian being hit by a train:
(1) trespassing in a train yard or in a restricted area
(2) using a railroad tressle, bridge or tunnel
(3) pedestrian crossing at ground level (rather than a pedestrian bridge or tunnel)
(4) children playing on the tracks or adolescents "fooling around"
(5) intoxication
(6) seizure or other loss of consciousness, with collapse on track (for example, electrocution from a third rail on an electric line)
(7) visual, auditory or mental impairment (caught unawares)
(8) coverup (attempting to make a murder look like an accident)
(9) suicide
(10) trying to hop a train
(11) high speed train
(12) poor visibility
(13) pedestrian ignoring warning or safety barriers
In rough country railroad tracks may be the shortest and easiest path between 2 points.