SPRINGFIELD – A measure supported by State Senator Paul Faraci that will provide ongoing, accessible railroad safety education to students in Illinois’ public schools was signed by the governor Friday.
“Throughout the 2025-2026 academic year, my office had a plethora of residents reach out who were concerned about the safety of students who have to travel over train tracks to get to school and back home,” said Faraci (D-Champaign). “By getting this bill over the finish line, the state is reaffirming our commitment to the well-being of our youth and empowering them to take control of their safety, directly reducing the chances of a preventable injury or death happening.”
House Bill 3743 requires all K-12 public schools to include railroad safety information in their student handbooks. A school will be able to opt out of this requirement if the school board determines that railroad safety is covered in the school's curriculum.
According to the Illinois Commerce Commission, highway-rail crash statistics for 2025 indicate that Illinois had 134 collisions between trains and motor vehicles or pedestrians at highway-rail crossings. Thirty-four people were killed and 27 seriously injured. Illinois has 7,300 miles of track with 7,482 public highway-rail crossings and 3,280 private highway-rail crossings. Nationally this puts Illinois second in both categories, with only Texas having more rail crossings than Illinois.
House Bill 3743 was signed into law Friday and goes into immediate effect.
