Check school regs, campus security, and local law enforcement about what things are on the no-no list. Recent events have increased the official pucker factor to almost TSA proportions in some places.

Sharps are always questioned, be sure you know what is a legal carry.. Chemical anything, even handwarmers, ditto.

My brother was a deputy sheriff, a leutenant for a major university police force, and is now chief of a smaller school district police force. He and I research knife laws from time to time. There are state, school, airline, and local knife rules - and none of them are the same. You have to go with the common denominator, the sharp that meets all the criteria for you EDC to pass muster.

And if you have to go into high security areas, or courtrooms, etc. ther are almost certainly other set of rules.

Homework never ends.

Your railroad situation confronts you with the possibility of dividing your world in two with a physical, chemical, or other barrier.

So, you need duplicate gear - one set on each side of the probable divide, and also a retreat from the railroad area on each side. My suggestion: make friends on each side and agree to take each other in if the worst happens, be a regular at at least one business establishment on each side that might be able to help you, and find out the evacuation plans which let you check out shelters on each side in case of the worst. If you can afford it - and I sure couldn't when I was a student - stash a cache on each side.

Good luck!