It shall be unlawful for any railroad company, or any receiver or trustee operating a railroad, to obstruct for a longer period than five minutes the free passage on any street or road by standing cars or trains across the same, except a passenger train while receiving or discharging passengers, but a passway shall be kept open to allow normal flow of traffic; nor shall it be lawful to stand any wagon or other vehicle on the track of any railroad which will hinder or endanger a moving train; provided that when a train has been uncoupled, so as to make a passway, the time necessarily required, not exceeding three minutes, to pump up the air after the train has been recoupled shall not be included in considering the time such cars or trains were standing across such street or road. Any such railroad company, receiver or trustee, violating any of the provisions of this section shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500; provided that the fine may be $100 for each minute beyond the permitted time but the total fine shall not exceed $500.
This section shall not apply when the train is stopped due to breakdown, mechanical failure or emergency.
1958, c. 242; 1976, c. 89.
Structure Code of Virginia
Title 56 - Public Service Companies
Chapter 13 - Railroad Corporations
§ 56-345.1. Notice; consolidation, merger, abandonments, or discontinuances
§ 56-346. Certain powers conferred by law on railroad corporations
§ 56-347. Power of condemnation; limitation
§ 56-352. Railroad to have an insurable interest in property along its route
§ 56-353. Railroad company may appoint police agents
§ 56-354. Conductors, etc., to be conservators of the peace
§ 56-362. Right of railroad to cross watercourse, intervening railroad, etc.
§ 56-365.1. Closing and or consolidation of grade crossings
§ 56-368.1. Subsequent maintenance of underpasses and overpasses
§ 56-383. Railroad company may construct and maintain telegraph or telephone line
§ 56-405.02. Railroads to adjust certain public highways at grade crossings
§ 56-405.2. Construction and maintenance of crossbucks
§ 56-406.2. Proceeding for fixing cost of maintaining such warning devices at public grade crossings
§ 56-408. Signs similar to crossing signs prohibited
§ 56-411. Removal of brush and trees from right-of-way
§ 56-412. When trains shall be stopped before getting to railroad crossing
§ 56-412.1. Railroad cars obstructing street or road; standing vehicle on railroad track
§ 56-412.2. Ordinances conflicting with § 56-412.1
§ 56-412.3. Maintenance of certain roadways by Buchanan County
§ 56-413.01. Locomotive and rail car standards
§ 56-414. Bell and whistle or horn; when sounded
§ 56-415. Penalty for violation of § 56-414
§ 56-416. Effect of failure to give statutory signals
§ 56-417.1. Clearance to be provided in construction, etc., of railroad structures
§ 56-419. Duplicate switch keys of railroads; unlawful making, etc.; punishment
§ 56-419.2. Safety requirements applicable to vehicles transporting railroad employees
§ 56-428. Railroads liable for damage from fires set out by their engines or trains
§ 56-429. Company to erect fences along roadbed; cattle guards, etc.
§ 56-430. Construction of § 56-429; burden of proof
§ 56-431. When company not liable for injury on enclosed track
§ 56-432. Liability for injury on track not enclosed
§ 56-433. Cattle guards; remedy of aggrieved landowner; penalty
§ 56-434. When cattle guards may be discontinued
§ 56-435. Appeal from general district court to circuit court in cattle-guard cases
§ 56-436. Board of appraisers to appraise injured or killed livestock; duty of appraisers
§ 56-437. Effect of appraisal in case of suit; costs
§ 56-439. Application of §§ 56-436 through 56-438
§ 56-439.1. Notice of injury or death of certain livestock; penalty
§ 56-440. Penalty for failure to remove cause of complaint in cities or towns
§ 56-441. Liability for injury to employee
§ 56-446. Information to State Corporation Commission; penalty
§ 56-446.1. Limitations on passenger rail transportation liability