By paNOW Staff

CN Rail appeals to motorists to ‘change your train of thought’ at crossings

Sep 24, 2018 | 12:00 PM

CN Rail Police kicked off Rail Safety Week with a visit to North Battleford, where they spoke with producers and elevator employees about safety around trains and rail crossings.

Const. Sean Strang said harvest is a busy time of year for farmers and the grain industry alike, but safety must always be top of mind.

“No matter how busy anyone is with harvest or other work,” Strang said. “We’re encouraging our grain sector colleagues and everyone to ‘change your train of thought’ and be safer around railway crossing.”

Running a safe railroad is a core value which guides CN Rail in an effort to become the safest railroad in North America according to a press release from the company.

Staff are visiting elevators where farmers are delivering grain in an effort to educate grain truck drivers about the dangers of disregarding signals at railroad crossings.

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There were more than 222 accidents resulting in 72 fatalities and 44 serious injuries in Canada last year.

“Disregard for railroad crossing signals and gates and distracted driving, were the main causes of those accidents, along with pedestrian trespassing,” the press release from CN Rail read. “Under the Railway Safety Act, trespassing on tracks is illegal because of the significant risk of injury and death.”

CN Rail reminded motorists that trains and cars don’t mix, and discouraged drivers from racing trains to crossings. The company also noted trains can take a kilometer and a half to come to a full stop.

If a vehicle stalls across tracks, drivers are reminded to exit immediately and move quickly away from the tracks before contacting the railway company for assistance.

This year marks 16 years of collaboration with Operation Lifesaver in their annual Rail Safety Week. Operation Lifesaver is a non-profit organization providing public education programs to prevent rail injuries both on and around tracks and railroad property.

The CN Rail press release indicated CN Police would be travelling across the province to visit more grain sector employees to continue to raise awareness about rail safety.

panews@jpbg.ca

on Twitter: @princealbertnow