SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Sioux Falls police have been riding the rails to catch drivers who ignore railroad crossing stop signals.

Police spokesman Sam Clemens tells the Argus Leader that it was done after complaints from BNSF. The railroad told police were too many near-misses with vehicles crossing the tracks in front of trains.

Clemens says officers wrote 44 citations Wednesday for failure to stop at a railroad crossing. He says when there are lights flashing at the crossing vehicles must come to a stop.

Clemens says the offenders were either speeding up to beat the train or slowing down but not stopping.

A similar operation was set up last year, and police wrote 18 citations.

Clemens says police plan to conduct similar railroad crossing checks later this summer.

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