A pedestrian walking along railroad tracks in downtown Durham fell from a bridge onto Chapel Hill Street on Thursday, suffering life-threatening injuries, according to police. The fall happened as a train sounded its warning near the crossing at Chapel Hill and Pettigrew streets, sending the person plunging to the roadway below.
Durham police responded to the scene at Chapel Hill Street and Pettigrew Street, where officers found the pedestrian had walked across the railroad tracks over the bridge before falling, according to WRAL. The person was transported to a local hospital with injuries described as life-threatening. Officers walked near the railroad tracks as part of the response, and an Amtrak train in the area was stopped while the situation was addressed.
All roads affected by the closures have since reopened, per the station's report. It remains unclear exactly what prompted the person to be on the tracks or how the train's horn factored into the fall, and police have not released further details on the pedestrian's condition or identity.
A Bridge With a History of Close Calls
The trestle spanning West Chapel Hill Street is owned by the North Carolina Railroad Company, a state-owned corporation established in 1849 that controls the 317-mile rail corridor linking Charlotte to Morehead City, according to the North Carolina Railroad Company. NCRR leases its track rights to freight operator Norfolk Southern and passenger carrier Amtrak. In 2019, the company completed a $1.5 million project at that same crossing, modifying the bridge and demolishing an adjacent unused steel trestle to improve light, clearance and safety in downtown Durham.
The corridor carries heavy passenger traffic in addition to freight. Amtrak's Carolinian route, connecting Charlotte to New York City, and its Piedmont trains, which run five daily round trips between Charlotte and Raleigh, both pass through the area, according to NC By Train. Nearby Durham Station hosts 10 daily passenger train arrivals and departures, putting foot traffic and active rail operations in close proximity throughout the day.
Downtown Durham Ranks Among the State's Riskiest Rail Corridors
Under North Carolina General Statute § 14-280.1, entering or remaining on a railroad right-of-way without authorization is a Class 3 misdemeanor, with rights-of-way generally extending 30 to 100 feet from the center of the tracks. A multi-year study funded by the North Carolina Department of Transportation Rail Division identified the rail corridor through downtown Durham as one of the state's highest-risk urban locations for pedestrian trespassing. Thermal motion-sensor cameras deployed across the study's sites captured 15,000 pedestrian right-of-way interactions and 100 near-misses with trains, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Statewide, preliminary Federal Railroad Administration statistics compiled by Operation Lifesaver show North Carolina recorded 37 pedestrian rail trespass casualties in 2025 — 26 fatalities and 11 injuries — ranking 10th highest among all states. Nationally, rail trespassing remains the leading cause of rail-related deaths, with 1,317 casualties reported that year, per Operation Lifesaver. Downtown Durham has seen similar tragedies before, including an October 2022 incident at Corcoran and Ramseur streets where a pedestrian was struck and killed by a train, a case that similarly forced multi-intersection closures.
City Betting on Rail Trail and Crisis Teams for Prevention
Enforcement along the tracks falls to Norfolk Southern Railway special agents, who hold statewide police authority in North Carolina to investigate trespassing and enforce criminal statutes on private railroad corridors. The company also runs 24-hour emergency dispatch centers for reporting trespassers and track hazards, according to state transportation records.
Durham officials have leaned on structural fixes rather than enforcement alone to keep pedestrians off active tracks. The city is developing the Durham Rail Trail, a $45 million, 1.78-mile linear park that would convert former railroad rights-of-way into separated walking and biking paths forming a crescent around downtown, with construction slated to begin in January 2027, according to the City of Durham General Services Department. The city also runs the Holistic Empathetic Assistance Response Team, a 911-linked crisis program launched in 2021 that dispatches clinicians alongside law enforcement to behavioral health and quality-of-life emergencies, including calls in public transit corridors. HEART currently operates four specialized crisis units across Durham.
Thursday's fall adds to a string of recent train-related emergencies in the Triangle. An Amtrak train hit a big rig near the Durham courthouse in June, while nearby Raleigh saw a pedestrian struck by a Carolinian train in April and another man killed near Hillsborough Street in May. Police have not indicated whether Thursday's incident will result in charges under the state's trespassing statute.
