A look at Greg Plitt's YouTube channel reveals he had a thing for shooting exercise videos on the ROW.

Rob

I'm on a photography forum and there are countless threads of model portfolio shots being shot on RR tracks.
And hardly anyone there thinks there's any concerns or legality in doing so.
As for the fitness guy, I had a few West Point grads under my command when I was in the Army and had a few over me as well. It's hardly an indicator of intelligence...
I notice that he left behind strong evidence against him when his family sues the railroad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQpNZy_Ti50&feature=player_embedded I’d guess those commuter trains wouldn’t be passing so close by if he’d had permission to shoot there. I hope the railroad doesn’t pay a penny and instead counter-sues the production company for getting their rolling stock all red and sticky.

An update explains why he was on the track:
Irish Mirror - Greg Plitt was 'attempting a thrill-seeking stunt' when killed by a train (Jan 20, 2015)

Open and shut case in the courts, it seems. I hope the RR doesn't settle in the death.
I feel terrible for the engine crew, the first responders who had to squeegee him into a bucket and this numbskull's family. That's pretty much it.

That has Darwin Award written all over it.

"That has Darwin Award written all over it",

Yeah, like my Father the P51 combat pilot always said;

There are old pilots (fitness junkies) and bold pilots but not too many old AND bold pilots.

Must have been one heck of a fitness drink; "faster than a speeding locomotive" and all that. I guess he got his fitness drink mixed up with his kryptonite.

What an unfortunate outcome, condolences to his family and friends and of course the unwilling participants in this unnecessary drama.

For those that are not aware, the Darwin awards is a list of folks that "removed themselves from the gene pool" in a spectacularly unintelligent way.

Here are a few railroad related examples, including a "mentalist" that thought he could stop a freight train with the "physic power" of his mind (seems he should have put his physic powers to work on the brake valve instead);

http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1994-14.html

http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2014-04.html

http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2008-17.html#

http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2002-25.html

http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2002-22.html

http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1996-08.html

And there are way too many examples of folks trying to "borrow" live copper wiring from any possible place including live electrified train tracks. Lots of crispy ex-thieves out there serving as examples.

The "Laws of Physics", they are not just suggestions.....

Someone on another forum suggested that getting whacked by a train happens too often to qualify for a "Darwin".

Here's what George Carlin had to say on the subject:

This item demonstrates how stupid the average American is. Every ninety minutes someone in this country is hit by a train. A train, okay? Trains are on tracks; they can't come and get you. They can't surprise you when you step off a curb. You have to go to them. Got that?

Good advice from Larry the Cable Guy.

I LOL when I saw the Cable Guy clip because I remembered an incident with I guy I used to work with. A guy not too unlike Larry.
CNW double track (now UP) right behind a favorite watering hole near work, but with a public parking lot across the tracks. He was leaving to go to his car when a train approached, he like Larry stood right on the North track thumbing his nose at the East bound train then steeped off toward the lot. Unfortunately he was not that aware of CNWs Left hand running and was almost clipped by a Westbound coming right behind him on the South track.
Stuck in between two long, and fast moving, freight trains after having a few is a very dangerous place to be. He had the presence of mind to sit down and wait it out.

despite the serious consequence of that, I get a bit of a chuckle on that

Georgia Public Broadcasting reports there has been a plea deal: Director Of Allman Film"Midnight Rider" Pleads Guilty In Train Crash Death

Link from the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/03/09/us/ap-us-film-crew-train-crash.html
GME

Warning, accident footage ahead.

http://variety.com/2015/biz/news/midnig ... 201449892/

Why they didn't just drop the props and run, is beyond me.

Here are a few likely reasons:
1. They're pros. I actually wouldn't have expected them to just drop their stuff and run if they thought they could save any of it while getting out of the way.
2. The crew probably didn't wanna derail the train with the bed on the tracks, which could have happened. I've seen trains derailed by stuff less substantial than that.
3. They probably had no idea how close that train really was. Ask anyone from operation lifesaver, it's common for people to misjudge the distance a train is from you and how fast the closure speed is.