Regina unveiled an initiative on Monday that aims to help pedestrian safety around railway tracks in the Queen City.
The ‘See Tracks? Think Train’ campaign is aimed at making safety an automatic habit for people when they are driving or walking near train tracks.
The initiative was launched in 2014 by Operation Lifesaver – a non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about risky pedestrian railway crossings.
“The City of Regina is happy to come on board and join the CN Police, Canadian Pacific (CP), along with SGI, in helping to increase pedestrian safety at railway crossings,” said Mayor Michael Fougere.
“This initiative demonstrates our commitment to the safety of our residents and we look forward to reducing the number of incidents at railway crossings.”
Below are the nine locations where the ‘See Tracks? Think Train’ campaign are located:
- Trail crossing at CN line, east of Dorothy Street
- CN line at Dorothy Street
- CN line at McCarthy Boulevard
- Elphinstone Street, south of McKinley Avenue (CN)
- CP crossing at Elphinstone Street, north of Saskatchewan Drive
- Albert Street, south of 1st Avenue North (CN)
- Albert Street, north of 3rd Avenue (CN)
- Broad Street, south of 1st Avenue North (CN)
- 2nd Avenue North, west of Winnipeg Street (CN)
“CP is proud to support the City of Regina’s initiative to stencil high traffic railway crossings and remind pedestrians that rail safety requires people’s attention at all times,” said Ken Marchant, CP Police Service Chief.
“Incidents involving pedestrians and trespassers are preventable and unfortunately too common. CP looks forward to implementing these stencils at more crossings in more communities to increase awareness.”
When crossing a railway crossing pedestrian should keep these tips in mind:
- A typical freight train can take nearly two kilometres to stop, even when emergency brakes are applied – the distance of 16 football fields!
- “Selfies” and photo shoots on train tracks have deadly consequences.
- It’s never safe to stop closer than five metres from rails as a train is at almost one metre wider than tracks on both sides. More than 95 per cent of all rail-related deaths involve drivers trying to beat a train, or people trespassing on railroad tracks.
- More than 50 per cent of people injured or killed while trespassing on railroad tracks have drugs or alcohol in their system.
- Railroad tracks are private property and walking on them is trespassing. It’s illegal and dangerous; you risk being ticketed and fined
In 2016 there were 23 collisons and 5 injuries at railway crossings in Regina.