Released on May 5, 2011
National Public-Rail Safety Week Runs May 2 to 8
Highways and Infrastructure Minister Jim Reiter reminds all motorists and pedestrians to be alert near trains and tracks as National Public-Rail Safety Week runs from May 2 to 8.
"Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians should only cross railway tracks at authorized and marked crossings," Reiter said. "Be alert, be prepared to stop, obey all crossings and signs, while keeping in mind it's unsafe to trespass on railway property - you just never know when a train will be moving."
The ministry helps Saskatchewan's shortline railways under its jurisdiction with safety initiatives, such as providing free reflective tape for locomotives, regularly reviewing their safety management plans, conducting safety inspections of the nearly 980 provincial-regulated shortline crossings, ensuring these crossings are marked with reflective tape and regularly inspecting shortline locomotives.
The ministry also annually distributes free hard copies of rail safety activity books to children of Grade 4 age in communities along shortline railways. The books, available for the first time in 2011 in both French and English, are also available to download in PDF format at http://www.highways.gov.sk.ca/sask-rail/shortlinesafety/.
"It's great to see these books now available in a variety of formats to help get this safety message out in different ways," Saskatchewan Shortline Railway Association President Roger Gadd said. "These books also help the association promote safety within the communities where its members operate."
Public-Rail Safety Week's objective is to help reduce crossing collisions and trespassing incidents along railways and is an annual initiative of Operation Lifesaver, a national rail safety organization involving various transportation, government and safety partners.
Saskatchewan has 11 shortline railways that can operate on approximately 1,900 km of provincially-regulated track. These provincial shortlines connect to approximately 6,800 km of federally-regulated rail lines in Saskatchewan.
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For more information, contact:
Dan Palmer
Highways and Infrastructure
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4805