ARTICLE 8. Crimes [7676. - 7681.]

Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC 8.

in effect

Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC § 7676. Section 7676.

Every person who, in making up or running any railroad train, places or runs, or causes to be placed or run, any freight car in the rear of passenger cars, is guilty of a misdemeanor, and if loss of life or limb results from such placing or running, is guilty of a felony. This section shall not apply where railroad trains are carrying only personnel and equipment in connection with military or naval movements. “Freight car,” as used in this section, does not include a baggage, express, or mail car. This section shall become operative on January 1, 1976.

Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC § 7677. Section 7677.

No person, firm, or corporation operating a railroad with more than four trains each way every 24 hours shall require or permit any engineer, fireman, conductor, brakeman, or trainman to receive, deliver, or transmit at any receiving or forwarding instrument of any telegraph or telephone line, any order for the movement of any train, except in such cases or classes of cases as are permitted by the commission. This section does not apply to interurban or street railroads. Any person, firm, or corporation violating this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC § 7677.1. Section 7677.1.

Radio or other means of communication not hereinabove referred to in Section 7677 may be used for the purpose of transmitting orders for the movement of trains, subject to such rules or regulations as the commission may promulgate for insuring the safety of railroad operations.

Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC § 7678. Section 7678.

Except as provided in paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive, of subdivision (a) of Section 7604, every person in charge of a locomotive engine who, before crossing any traveled public way, omits to cause a bell to ring or steam whistle, air siren, or air whistle to sound at the distance of at least 1,320 feet from the crossing, and until the lead locomotive has passed through the crossing, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC § 7679. Section 7679.

Any person employed upon any railroad as engineer, conductor, baggage-master, brakeman, switchman, fireman, bridge-tender, flagman, or signalman, or having charge of the regulation or running of trains upon any railroad, in any manner whatever, who either becomes or is intoxicated or who is impaired due to the unlawful use of a controlled substance while engaged in the discharge of his duties, is guilty of a misdemeanor. If any person so employed does any act or neglects any duty, by reason of such intoxication or illegal drug use, which act or neglect causes the death of, or bodily injury to, any person or persons, that person so employed is guilty of a felony.

Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC § 7680. Section 7680.

Every conductor, engineer, brakeman, switchman, or other person having charge, wholly or in part, of any railroad, car, locomotive, or train, who willfully or negligently suffers or causes it to collide with another car, locomotive, or train, or with any other object or thing whereby the death of a human being is produced, is punishable by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for two, three or four years.

Cal. Public Utilities Code - PUC § 7681. Section 7681.

Every engineer, conductor, brakeman, switch-tender, or other officer, agent, or servant of any railroad company, who is guilty of any wilful violation or omission of his duty as such officer, agent, or servant, whereby human life or safety is endangered, the punishment of which is not otherwise prescribed, is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026