24 replies to this topic

[CNJRoss]

Amtrak news release:

Amtrak, Operation Lifesaver and Law Enforcement Agencies Partner for Operation Clear Track

 

September 25, 2017

 

One-day event marks first U.S. Rail Safety Week

 

 

 

WASHINGTON – Amtrak and Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) kicked off U.S. Rail Safety Week today and announced a new collaborative rail safety effort designed to save lives by alerting the public to the dangers of being inattentive at rail grade crossings and along the railroad right-of-way.

 

As part of the week-long observance, Amtrak Police and OLI will mobilize Operation Clear Track, the largest simultaneous railroad safety law enforcement operation ever attempted in the United States, involving more than 200 police or sheriff’s departments across the lower 48 states.

 

The one-day operation will take place during three hours on Tuesday, Sept. 26, starting at 10 a.m. ET, 9 a.m. CT, 8 a.m. MT, and 7 a.m. PT. During the operation, local, state, federal and railroad law enforcement officials will be stationed at each state’s high incident grade crossings based on preliminary data from the Federal Railroad Administration. Once on-site, officers will enforce their grade crossing laws and issue warnings and citations to violators. Law enforcement personnel will also distribute more than 240,000 railroad safety cards to motorists and pedestrians at those crossings.

 

“It’s critical that citizens in every corner of the country fully understand the dangers and consequences of trespassing on railroad property,” Amtrak Police Chief Neil Trugman said. “By mobilizing our forces, we hope to raise awareness, save lives and prevent injuries along the railroad rights-of-way from coast to coast.”

 

According to OLI, a national rail safety education nonprofit organization, each year approximately 2,000 people are killed or injured in grade crossing and trespassing incidents nationwide. Every three hours, a person or vehicle is hit by a train.

 

“We are proud to partner with our local law enforcement agencies to raise public awareness about using caution near train tracks, and never using the tracks as a shortcut,” Operation Lifesaver President and CEO Bonnie Murphy said. “While crossing collisions have dropped 83 percent since the first Operation Lifesaver program was started 45 years ago, this unprecedented enforcement and education event will further our mission to eliminate these preventable tragedies.”

 

Operation Clear Track is one of several events scheduled during U.S. Rail Safety Week now through Sept. 30. For more information on railroad safety visit www.oli.org.

 

 

 

[CNJRoss]

Operation Lifesaver news release:

 

Operation Lifesaver puts focus on saving lives as U.S. Rail Safety Week starts

9-25-2017

 

 

Washington, D.C. (September 25, 2017) – Saving lives by alerting people to the dangers of being inattentive at highway-rail grade crossings and along train tracks is the focus of a new campaign by national rail safety education nonprofit Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI) during the first U.S. Rail Safety Week (RSW), September 24-30. Radio and digital public service advertising campaigns and other activities are underway in states across the country. Rail Safety Week is supported by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), state Operation Lifesaver programs, Amtrak, the Association of American Railroads (AAR), freight railroads, and other safety partners.

 

Participating in a press conference to kick off the week’s activities were Operation Lifesaver, Inc. President and CEO Bonnie Murphy, Federal Railroad Administration Office of Program Delivery Director Jamie Rennert, , Association of American Railroads Senior Vice President Safety & Operations  Mike Rush, Amtrak Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Scot Naparstek, Amtrak Chief of Police Neil Trugman, Nancy Kenyon Richardson, who lost her son in a trespass incident, and Richardson’s 12-year-old daughter Kiki.

 

“While the number of highway-rail crossing collisions, deaths and injuries has dropped over the past five decades, it’s still a startling fact that about every three hours in the U.S., a person or vehicle is hit by a train,” said Murphy. “The goal of RSW is to raise awareness across the United States of the need for rail safety education and empower Americans to keep themselves safe near highway-rail grade crossings and railroad rights-of-way.”

 

FRA’s Rennert said, “For decades, the Federal Railroad Administration has striven to develop and successfully apply a wide range of safety engineering, enforcement and educational initiatives to prevent highway-rail grade crossing collisions and trespass events—which together, comprise nearly 96% of all rail-related deaths. The people involved in these tragic incidents are our neighbors, our friends, our family members. Let’s make the most of this week and work together to raise awareness of the importance of safety around tracks and railway crossings within our communities.”

 

“For the freight rail industry, there is no higher priority than safety,” said the AAR’s Rush. “While federal data shows that grade crossing fatalities have been trending downward, there are still far too many fatalities that occur in and around crossings.”

 

Said Naparstek, “U.S. Rail Safety Week is important so that our customers understand the need for safety around tracks and grade crossings. Crossing collisions and trespass incidents are preventable tragedies that can be avoided by empowering people to keep themselves safe.”

 

Chief Trugman announced, “Amtrak and our safety partners will conduct ‘Operation Clear Track’ tomorrow, with more than 230 sheriff’s departments and police agencies stationed at top railroad grade crossing and trespassing incident locations across the lower 48 states to enforce the laws and educate the public about train safety. By mobilizing our forces, we hope to raise awareness, save lives and prevent injuries along the railroad rights-of-way from coast to coast.”

 

Nancy Kenyon Richardson said “My son Kevin was just 24 when he was hit by a train and killed while taking a short cut on the tracks near our home. I hope I can help fix the lack of awareness of the danger of being on train tracks by sharing his story with you. The lesson here certainly did not come cheaply. Kevin paid with his life, and my family and I have paid with our hearts.

 

Kiki Richardson added, “The last time I ever saw Kevin was when he was in his coffin. I never expected my brother would be gone all because of a short cut.”

 

Preliminary FRA data show 1,104 people were killed or injured in vehicle-train collisions in 2016, a 13.7 percent drop from 2015. Trespass-related casualties rose in 2016; 980 pedestrians were injured or killed while walking on or near railroad tracks last year, up 12.9 percent from 2015.

 

Activities will take place across the country each day during U.S. Rail Safety Week, including:

• Tuesday, September 26 will feature “Operation Clear Track,” where local, state, federal and railroad police will be stationed at the top railroad grade crossing and/or trespassing incident locations in states around the country to hand out safety materials to motorists and pedestrians, and issue warnings and citations to those violating state laws.
• Wednesday, September 27 will focus on crossing safety, with events and ads to promote awareness of the Emergency Notification System (ENS) signs posted near all railroad crossings. The signs have an 800-number to call to report vehicles stuck on the tracks, signal malfunctions or other issues.
• Thursday, September 28, will be “Transit Safety Thursday,” with events at transit, light rail and commuter rail stations and a digital ad campaign.
• Friday, September 29, will focus on trespass prevention, with Operation Lifesaver urging students, employees, and others to participate in “red out for rail safety awareness” by wearing red. Operation Lifesaver volunteers will be at sporting events and other activities to distribute materials and trespass prevention safety tips.
• Saturday, September 30 will celebrate “community connections,” with safety blitzes and other awareness events in communities across the U.S.

U.S. Rail Safety Week is funded by Champion sponsors FRA, FHWA, FTA and Amtrak (in-kind); Partners sponsor Dupage Railroad Safety Council; and Allies sponsor National Safety Council.

 

Visit the Operation Lifesaver website at www.oli.org/RSWeek to learn more about Rail Safety Week events, find materials, and learn how you can become part of the Rail Safety Week team.

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[CNJRoss]

CN news release:

 

CN encourages public to be safe around railroads for first national Rail Safety Week in the United States

First national event aimed at raising awareness about rail safety 

 

Homewood, IL. September 25, 2017 — As part of its year-round effort to save lives, CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) is pleased to participate in the first U.S. National Rail Safety Week, a week long series of events aimed at raising awareness and promoting safe behaviour around railroads.

 

Last year, in the United States, 2,025 rail grade crossing collisions resulted in 798 personal injuries and were responsible for 265 fatalities. During that same period, 994 trespassing incidents occurred resulting in 483 pedestrians being injured and 511 killed while trespassing on the railroad property rights-of-way.

 

“Too many people die while trespassing on railway property and those fatalities are entirely preventable,” said Stephen Covey, Chief of police and Chief Security officer at CN. “These tragedies can be avoided by staying off railway tracks and by simply obeying crossing signals.”

 

During Rail Safety Week, CN Police Service (CNPS) will be out in communities raising awareness of the potentially devastating consequences of trespassing on railway tracks and disregarding railway safety signs and devices at level crossings.

 

CN Police officers will have custom virtual reality viewers to demonstrate 360° rail safety videos to the public. Visitors to CN’s Rail Safety Pledge website can view the videos on a desktop, laptop or mobile device, and visitors with access to any Google Cardboard viewer can experience this immersive virtual reality environment.

 

CN is encouraging the public to take the Rail Safety Pledge online which they can easily share with their Facebook friends and Twitter followers.

 

The Rail Safety Pledge asks people to share rail safety tips in their community, talk about rail safety at their local schools, or report unsafe behaviour around trains or railway property.

 

“Rail safety is everyone’s responsibility,” said Covey. “By looking out for each other and working together, we can help keep our communities safe and prevent fatalities and injuries on or near railway property. Together we can save lives and help bring crossing and trespassing accidents down to zero.”

 

Get rail safety tips, take the Rail Safety Pledge, and live the 360° rail safety experience on your computer or mobile device at: www.mysafetypledge.com.

 

CN has been promoting railway safety for more than 25 years through its All Aboard for Safety community education program. Every year, CN employees make hundreds of All Aboard for Safety presentations and talk to more than 300,000 children and adults at schools and community events in Canada and the United States about the importance of safety and the dangers of walking or playing on or near railway tracks.

 

 

[CNJRoss]

SEPTA news release:

 

Respect the Train When Traveling By Foot and By Car

 

SEPTA Participates in National Rail Safety Week September 24-30, 2017

 

September 25, 2017

 

Rail trespassing is one of the top safety issues for transit organizations across the country. SEPTA and transportation companies throughout the United States are partnering with Operation Lifesaver Inc. and the U.S. Department of Transportation for the first national "Rail Safety Week", September 24-30, 2017.

 

According to Operation Lifesaver, in the United States, a person or vehicle is struck by a train every three hours. The Federal Railroad Administration recorded more than 2,000 highway-rail grade crossing collisions and almost 1,000 pedestrian rail trespass casualties throughout the United States in 2016.

 

"Rail Safety Week is aimed at reducing the number of injuries and fatalities around railroad tracks and grade crossings by educating pedestrians and motorists on how to be safe when walking or driving near railroad and rail transit tracks and facilities," said Jim Fox, SEPTA's Assistant General Manager of System Safety. "Trains can run on any track and in any direction at any time. Also, don't assume that trains only run according to a published schedule."

 

If you think you can listen for the sound of a train to know when to clear the tracks, think again. "Today's trains aren't loud. Electric vehicles and welded rails mean trains no longer make that clickety-clack noise. You won't know the train is coming until it's too late to get out of the way," said Fox.

 

SEPTA's trains can weigh one million pounds and it takes a considerable distance for one to come to a complete stop even when traveling at a moderate speed. At railroad grade crossings, closing gates, warning bells and flashing lights indicate that the train - or trains in multiple track territory - is approaching and has the right of way. Drivers that pass through flashers or crossing gates are in violation of motor vehicle laws and are subject to heavy fines.

 

"We've seen an increase in our grade crossing gates being hit by motorists," said SEPTA General Manager Jeffrey D. Knueppel. "Just one of these incidents could be catastrophic if a car finds itself in the path of an oncoming train."

 

Road markers indicate the safest distance for vehicles to stop from the grade crossing when the gates are down. "Never travel into a crossing until the flashing lights go out completely," said Knueppel. "There may be a second train coming from the opposite direction that will re-activate the gates." Motorists should not drive onto the tracks at a grade crossing unless they have ample space to pull ahead.

 

In addition to a week-long education and social media campaign with messaging to raise awareness about safe behavior around all types of rail, the keystone event of Rail Safety Week will be "Transit Safety Thursday". On Thursday, September 28, SEPTA's System Safety officers and employee ambassadors will conduct Safety Blitzes at several SEPTA Regional Rail stations during the morning rush hour. From 6:30-8:30 a.m., SEPTA representatives will distribute educational materials and answer safety questions at Lansdale, North Wales, Primos, Conshohocken, Hatboro and Philmont Stations - stations all located in close proximity to grade crossings.

 

SEPTA System Safety officers will wrap up Transit Safety Thursday with a Safety Blitz at the Leamy Avenue, Saxer Avenue and Woodland Avenue Stations along the Authority's Route 101 Trolley Line in Springfield, Delaware County from 2-3:45 p.m. E.T. Richardson Middle School, Springfield Senior High School and St. Francis of Assisi Parish School are located within close proximity of the trolley stations and SEPTA representatives will use the Blitz to teach local students about the dangers of rail transit trespassing.

 

SEPTA's participation in Rail Safety Week is an extension of the Authority's Safety Blitz education program. "At least once a month, our safety officers and police officers visit railroad, rail transit and bus stations across the Authority, reviewing regulations and precautions with thousands of customers," said Fox. "We often visit locations as a result of community request or stations that have had a high volume of customers or trespassers." SEPTA offers rail safety tips and videos on its website. The Authority's System Safety Department also makes Operation Lifesaver rail safety presentations to students from kindergarten through high school and to a wide variety of audiences such as hearing and visually impaired adults, driver's education students, emergency responders and professional drivers. SEPTA offers the presentations free of charge to school and community groups.

 

For more information about SEPTA safety and to download PDFs of safety tips for all SEPTA modes, click here. For information about SEPTA's Operation Lifesaver presentations, and to schedule a presentation, call 215-580-7800. For more information about Rail Safety Week, click here.

 

[CNJRoss]

KCS news release:

 

KCSR, Law Enforcement Promote Public Safety in Baton Rouge, La. with Officer on a Train Event

 

 

Kansas City, Mo., September 25, 2017.  The Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCSR) and Baton Rouge Police Department will host an Officer on a Train event on Tuesday, September 26 to promote public safety at railroad crossings in Baton Rouge, La.  The event will begin at 8:00 a.m. with a safety briefing at the KCS Yard at 1401 Foss Street in Baton Rouge.  Louisiana Operation Lifesaver executive director Claude Maher will be present and available for interviews.

 
In an Officer on a Train event, KCSR works with local law enforcement to bring officers into a locomotive cab for a unique, real-time perspective of motorist and pedestrian activity as a train moves through the community.   Meanwhile, other law enforcement officers are stationed along the railroad right of way, watching for crossing and trespasser violations and issuing citations.

 

KCSR is a staunch supporter of Operation Lifesaver, Inc., a non-profit organization founded in 1972 and dedicated to rail safety public education.  Operation Lifesaver has partnered with federal safety agencies and the nation’s railroads for the See Tracks? Think Train! campaign, which is aimed at raising awareness about risky pedestrian and driver behavior around railroad tracks. 

 

Operation Lifesaver, Inc. is working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation and other organizations to observe the first national Rail Safety Week, September 24-30, 2017.

 

[CNJRoss]

CTDOT news release 9/25/17:

 

 

Connecticut Department of Transportation Kicks-off Rail Safety Week with Lifesaving Tips for Connecticut Residents 

 

CTDOT participates in Rail Safety Week; rail safety public awareness efforts will continue with the launch of Operation Lifesaver Connecticut campaign later this year

 

 

(HARTFORD, CT) - Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) Deputy Commissioner Anna M. Barry today was joined by Department of Motor Vehicle Commissioner Michael Bzdyra and Amtrak Police Captain Tracie McCain to kick off Rail Safety Week. The goal of Rail Safety Week is to increase public awareness about rail safety practices in order to reduce collisions between trains and motor vehicles or pedestrians.

 

Beginning September 24^th and lasting through September 30^th, CTDOT and its partners from Operation Lifesaver, Amtrak, local police departments, the Connecticut State Police, and other transportation industry partners will launch a public outreach campaign on rail safety.  The campaign will include site visits and events to ensure motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and rail travelers get this important safety message.  Additional outreach will be conducted with schools along the Hartford Line to prepare students for upcoming CTrail service in 2018.

 

“Safety is always our first priority at the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Rail Safety Week is all about educating all of our rail-related constituencies, especially school children,” said CTDOT Commissioner James P. Redeker. “With the advent of expanded service next spring on the Hartford Line between New Haven and Springfield, we will be working through our Operation Lifesaver program with school systems up and down the line to reinforce the Rail Safety Week theme and encourage them to share what they’ve learned with their parents and older siblings.”

 

“It’s critical that citizens in every corner of the country fully understand the dangers and consequences of trespassing on railroad property,” said Amtrak Police Chief Neil Trugman. “By working together with our partners, we hope to raise awareness, save lives and prevent injuries along the railroad rights-of-way from coast to coast.”

 

“Safety needs to be everyone’s concern as they drive or walk near railroad crossings. They need to follow all road signs for caution or no-trespassing signs that are in place for their safety,” said DMV Commissioner Michael Bzdyra.

 

Deputy CTDOT Commissioner Anna M. Barry stated, “We want Connecticut’s residents to be aware of the important, yet simple, safety measures they can take to prevent tragic accidents. Rail Safety Week is a wonderful and vital resource to help us achieve this goal. Beyond Rail Safety Week, we will continue to raise awareness about rail safety with the Connecticut Operation Lifesaver campaign.”

 

The Connecticut Operation Lifesaver campaign, which is scheduled to begin later this year, will conduct targeted outreach to populations across Connecticut, with a special focus on schools to reach children.  “The goal is to reach all who may encounter rail tracks—children, pedestrians, drivers, transit users, bicyclists — and make them aware of the best practices for safety,” said Deputy Commissioner Barry.

 

CTrail, a service of the Connecticut Department of Transportation, is partnering with Operation Lifesaver for Rail Safety Week and for a longer-term rail safety public awareness campaign. Operation Lifesaver is a national nonprofit public safety education and awareness organization dedicated to reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries at street-level crossings and trespassing on or near railroad tracks. Since Operation Lifesaver’s founding, train collisions with pedestrians and motorists have declined by 83 percent in the United States, from over 12,000 in 1972 to 2,087 in 2013. The efforts of Operation Lifesaver have been a major contributor to this decline.

 

Trespassing along railroad property generally results in more collisions, deaths, and injuries than accidents occurring along street-level railroad crossings. In 2016, there were four vehicle-train collisions along the state’s 628 at-grade rail crossings that resulted in one injury and no fatalities. In the same year, trespassing along railroad property resulted in six fatalities and two injuries in Connecticut. Preliminary national data show that in 2016, 1,104 people were killed or injured in vehicle-train collisions along at-grade crossings, while 980 people were injured or killed while trespassing on railroad property (usually walking on, or near, railroad tracks).

 

Other Rail Safety Week events include Operation Clear Tracks on Tuesday, September 26^th.  Amtrak, local police departments and CTDOT will join forces to conduct rail safety outreach to drivers and pedestrians at rail crossings in Wallingford, New London, Meriden, Hartford, Wallingford, Suffield, and Plainfield.  On Thursday, September 28^th, CTDOT staff will be on site at New Haven’s Union Station, sharing rail safety tips with travelers. A social media advertising campaign and collaboration with school bus companies are also planned to occur during Rail Safety Week.

Deputy CTDOT Commissioner Anna Barry stated, “We want Connecticut’s residents to be aware of the important, yet simple, safety measures they can take to prevent tragic accidents. Rail Safety Week is a wonderful and vital resource to help us achieve this goal. Beyond Rail Safety Week, we will continue to raise awareness about rail safety with the Connecticut Operation Lifesaver campaign.”

The Connecticut Operation Lifesaver campaign, which is scheduled to begin later this year, will conduct targeted outreach to populations across Connecticut, with a special focus on schools to reach children.  “The goal is to reach all who may encounter rail tracks—children, pedestrians, drivers, transit users, bicyclists — and make them aware of the best practices for safety,” said Deputy Commissioner Barry.

 

More about Operation Lifesaver at www.oli.org and on the CTDOT website here.

 

 

[CNJRoss]

The Times, Munster, IN 9/24/17:

National Rail Safety Week campaign rolls into Griffith this week

 

A sidewalk stencil in progress in Homewood, Illinois, near a rail crossing used by Metra, Amtrak and CN trains and more than 2,000 cyclists daily. A similar sidewalk mural will be unveiled Wednesday in Griffith.

 

 

 

GRIFFITH — It's not uncommon for people riding in cars or walking along tracks to be killed or injured by trains in Northwest Indiana.

 

But most people don't fully realize the magnitude of the problem, said Eric Graf, special agent for CN police.

 

SNIP

 

Nationally, there were more than 2,000 train-vehicle crashes in 2016, Graf said. A total of 994 trespassing cases resulted in 511 deaths and 483 injuries.

 

"If you think about that, that's an astronomical number when they should never happen at all," he said.

 

In Indiana, there were 116 train-vehicle crashes in 2016,  .  .  .

More here.

 

[CNJRoss]

TrckSAFE Foundation via YouTube:
 

 

Rail Safety Week 2017

 

 

[CNJRoss]

KCS news release;

 

KCSR and Law Enforcement Promote Public Safety in Jackson Area with Officer on a Train Event

 

 

Kansas City, Mo., September 27, 2017.  The Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCSR) and Mississippi Department of Transportation will host an Officer on a Train event on Thursday, September 28 to promote public safety at railroad crossings in the Jackson, Miss. area.  The event will begin at 8:00 a.m. with a safety briefing at High Oak Yard, 201 Industrial Park Road in Pearl, Miss.  Mississippi Operation Lifesaver executive director Kim Sloan will be present and available for interviews.
 
In an Officer on a Train event, KCSR works with local law enforcement to bring officers into a locomotive cab for a unique, real-time perspective of motorist and pedestrian activity as a train moves through the community.  Meanwhile, other law enforcement officers are stationed along the railroad right of way, watching for crossing and trespasser violations and issuing citations.

 

KCSR is a staunch supporter of Operation Lifesaver, Inc., a non-profit organization founded in 1972 and dedicated to rail safety public education.  Operation Lifesaver has partnered with federal safety agencies and the nation’s railroads for the See Tracks? Think Train! campaign, which is aimed at raising awareness about risky pedestrian and driver behavior around railroad tracks. 

 

Operation Lifesaver, Inc. is working in partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation and other organizations to observe the first national Rail Safety Week, September 24-30, 2017.

 

 

[CNJRoss]

Fairfax County, VA PD news release 9/28/17:

 

 

New post on Fairfax County Police Department News

 

  Stay Off Train Tracks: It’s Trespassing and Deadly

 

by FCPD Media Relations Bureau

 

Trespassing on train tracks is against the law and has led to deaths in our county. About every three hours, a person or vehicle is hit by a train in the U.S. and Fairfax County wants to end that trend.

 

Many residents are not aware that our modern trains are much quieter and faster – and can have a stopping distance of one mile or more. What may seem to be a harmless selfie opportunity or crossing tracks to get home faster can be very dangerous. It is also considered trespassing, a criminal violation.

 

“Part of what we do as a police department is prevent tragedy through education campaigns, like railroad safety,” Chief Roessler said. “Trespassing on tracks is a crime.”

 

 

To highlight the county’s commitment to train safety, Chief Roessler and county officials joined with the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) for a rail safety media event at the VRE station in Burke today. In addition to Roessler, speakers included:

• Braddock District Supervisor John C. Cook
• Lee District Supervisor Jeff C. McKay
• Virginia Railway Express (VRE) CEO Doug Allen
• Fire and Rescue Chief Richard R. Bowers Jr.

Police officers regularly patrol the train tracks in the county.

 

What to know:

• Train traffic through the county is higher than many other parts of the United States. Eastern Fairfax County hosts a heavily used freight corridor that is also used by VRE and Amtrak. Western Fairfax County hosts Norfolk Southern’s Washington District mainline used by VRE and Amtrak.
• The county has made great progress at closing and eliminating at-grade roadway crossings. Roberts Parkway, Burke Lake Road, Rolling Road and others have all been reconfigured over the past several years to safely bridge roadway and pedestrian traffic over the railroad tracks.
• In 2016, 980 deaths and injuries occurred nationwide because of trespassing on railroad tracks and 2,039 vehicles were struck at grade crossings. Virginia accounted for approximately 17 trespass and 30 grade crossing incidents.
• Rail Safety Week is Sept. 24 -30.

 

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