is it illegal to switch the railroad tracks? If there is a track switch do they have to get out and manually change the tracks?

all rail road systems are electronic manual switching died 50 years ago

It is wrong to switch the railway track unless you are working for the company who ask to switch the railway track. it is a crime to switch the railway track

If they catch you messing with a switch on the mainline trying to line it your probably going to go to prison by the time they are done with you.It depends on the territory what kind of switches are used.Some are electric controlled by a dispatcher hundreds of miles away and others have to be lined by hand.Please do not be playing around near the tracks we hate running over people..it is very messy.

On most mainline railroads, both trains and tracks are controlled electronically. but there are still some shortline railroads that have manual switching and yes it is a crime to switch the tracks. you probably couldnt do it anyways because the switches are padlocked.

Yes, it is VERY illegal for non-railroad personnel to change the tracks in any way.
People die from this happening.
There r a lot of manually operated switches, espially in yard & branch lines with lower traffic density.
There r switches operated by remote control, called ''dual control'' switches in places where there is enough traffic to warrant the expense of such a system.

It is a fedral offense to change the position of any railway switch, l hope u were just asking out of curiosity.

It is a criminal offence to trespass on the railway and/or interfere with rail equipment. It is also very dangerous, u could end up seriously dead. So don't.

Most rail points (switches) r controlled from computer operated signalling centres which cover a wide area, although there r still a few left which use the older, mechanical system of interlocking levers, rods, cranks etc. controlled from a local signal box (interlocking tower).

In a few places where there r shunting yards next to the main line there r ground frames - sets of levers out in the open or with basic shelter. These r kept locked until needed, when a train driver or other authorised person will be issued with the key.

A friend of mine who works for a different railroad than l do, was the victim of switch tampering. He and the Engineer were killed when their train entered a siding at 20 mph with standing cars on it. They were crushed. The vandals had broke the switch lock and changed the switch. This was about three years ago. The two guys that tampered with the switch were found and charged for the deaths.

You do not say in which legal jurisdiction u live, but pretty much everywhere it is an extremely serious criminal offence for an unauthorised person to interfere with the operation of the railway in any way. You r looking at serious jail time.

While most people connected with the railway would not shed many tears for a trespasser who manages to get themselves killed in an extremely messy way, blameless people have to pick up the pieces afterward, & there is the psychological trauma of drivers who kill people through no fault of their own, & the danger to railway staff & passengers from routing trains onto unexpected tracks at unsafe speeds.

Yes, there ARE still manually operated switches in yards & spurs.

And YES, it would be illegal for a non-railroad employee to make such a change. not just trespass charges:

California Penal Code: 587. Every person who maliciously, either:
1. Removes, displaces, injures, or destroys any part of any
railroad, whether for steam or horse cars, or any track of any
railroad, or any branch or branchway, switch, turnout, bridge,
viaduct, culvert, embankment, station house, or other structure or
fixture, or any part thereof, attached to or connected with any
railroad; or,
2. Places any obstruction upon the rails or track of any railroad,
or of any switch, branch, branchway, or turnout connected with any
railroad;
Is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison, or in the
county jail not exceeding one year.

Yes, it is illegal. Some of the answerers have stated that manual switches are found on short branch lines and yards. That is true but in Canada, we still have''dark Territory Main Lines the switches are lined by the train crews.
In CTC (Centralised Traffic Control) the switches are lined electronically. But we can still line them manually.
But to get back to your question - yes it is and should you get caught, they will throw you in jail.
Beware!!!!!!!!

Highly illegal.

State & Federal laws violated in doing so with very stiff penalties.

The good news for those of us who ply the rails daily is, it is pretty hard to get a switch lock open without a key. The old ''Adlake'' locks could be picked with a bobby-pin. No more.

Their replacement is in the form of case hardened, stainless steel locks that r quite tamper proof.

Where switches r found that do not have a lock on them (yards & industry tracks) & the handle is held in place by a simple ''keeper,'' trains r moving at ''restricted speed'' anyway, so the chances of a train being derailed by an improperly lined switch is very low, since, among other things, a train running at restricted speed will be running prepared to stop short of an improperly lined switch.

It should be pointed out that, in some states in the US, train-wrecking with loss of life is a capital offense & a vandal could end up on some state is Death Row.

Just understand one word: Trespassing.

Union Pacific & in fact most railroads have their own police force monitoring their rails. In areas where there r manual switch stands they keep a closer eye on them for just that reason.

For the record, u will not receive a ticket either. You will be arrested on the spot by those Law Enforcment Officers, charged with trespassing & molicious intent & jailed.

Last l checked with our Law Enforcement Officers here that is a 10 year all expenses paid vacation from the California Department of Corrections.

My advice is to just stay clear of those rails. the flip side of the coin is the fact that most of those switches r now electrically operated.

If those points close & ur foot is in the wrong place at the wrong time, ur friends r going to be calling u Gimpy the one footed fool. Those switch motors will snip ur foot off as if it was not even there.

Been around railroads the whole of my life. Unless u r an employee of the railroad, u r better just standing clear.