Saskatchewan is recognizing Rail Safety Week from Sept. 21 to 27, with Highways Minister Kim Gartner reminding drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to stay alert and use caution around railway tracks and crossings.
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“Railways are an important part of Saskatchewan’s transportation network, connecting our communities and helping move the products our province produces to markets across Canada and around the world,” Gartner said in a provincial release.
“Rail Safety Week is an important reminder that we all have a role to play in keeping our roads, crossings and communities safe.”
The minister said whether driving, walking or cycling, residents should always stay alert around railway tracks, obey posted signs and signals and never take unnecessary risks around trains.
Safety reminders for crossings
The Ministry of Highways issued key safety reminders for the public:
Stop at a safe distance from tracks and crossings, as trains are wider than the tracks.
Look both ways to ensure trains are not approaching.
Listen for approaching trains.
Never stop a vehicle on the tracks or try to outrun a train.
When walking, always cross at designated railway crossings and do not walk on or close to tracks.
Education and oversight
The Ministry of Highways funds the printing and distribution of railway safety activity books to Grade 4 students in communities served by Saskatchewan short lines through a partnership with Canadian Safety Train Express Inc.
The books can be downloaded in English and French at canadiansafetytrain.ca/resources.
“Rail safety is a shared responsibility and every safe choice matters,” said Amy Lintick, operations and programs director with Canadian Safety Train Express.
“One decision can change many lives and the impact of one unsafe choice can reach far beyond the tracks.”
Lintick said a railway incident can have a lasting ripple effect on families, railway employees, first responders and entire communities.
The ministry’s Short Line Railway Improvement Program offers funding to support short line rail operators in tracks maintenance and upgrades.
The ministry also reviews short line railway safety management plans to ensure operating rules and plans are up to date and conducts safety inspections regularly.
Fourteen provincially-regulated short line railways operate on 2,123 kilometres of track in Saskatchewan.
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