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SeeTracksThink: Railway Association of Canada welcomes Rail Safety Week 2015

“See Tracks, Think” is the key message of this year’s Rail Safety Week (April 27 – May 3), a national week of activities devoted to educating the public about the dangers associated with railway crossings and trespassing on railway property. The Railway Association of Canada (RAC) encourages everyone to consider the impact that a lack of awareness around railway property could have on themselves, their family, their community and on railway employees.

“Outreach events like Rail Safety Week do an excellent job of drawing attention to this public safety issue,” said Michael Bourque, President and CEO of RAC. “The efforts of Canada’s railways and their partners have made great progress in reducing the number of crossing and trespassing incidents – and have saved lives as a result.”

Rail Safety Week is hosted by Operation Lifesaver (OL), an organization sponsored by Canada’s railway industry and Transport Canada, which works to teach Canadians about rail crossing and trespassing safety. This year, OL has planned some 600 Rail Safety Week activities, including presentations in schools, mock collisions and educational blitzes where railway police forces provide information to drivers and pedestrians at crossings.

“When people see tracks, we want them to think ‘danger’,” said Mike Regimbal, National Director of OL. “Our partners – railway companies, labour groups, law enforcement and community volunteers – work year-round to spread this message. Their efforts culminate in Rail Safety Week, which is our most impactful series of local events each year.”

In 2014, there were 180 crossing accidents and 58 trespassing accidents in Canada. Since OL began hosting Rail Safety Week in 2003, the combined number of crossing and trespassing accidents in Canada has been reduced by nearly 30 per cent.

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Social Media

Learn more about RSW by following the hashtags #RSW2015 and #SeeTracksThink, and by joining the discussion on:

Facebook.com/oplifesaver

Twitter.com/oplifesaver

Instagram.com/oplifesaver

For more information and media interviews, please contact:

Alex Paterson
Public Affairs Coordinator
Railway Association of Canada
613-564-8111
alexp@railcan.ca

Mike Regimbal
National Director
Operation Lifesaver
613-564-8100
miker@railcan.ca

About  the Railway Association of Canada

The Railway Association of Canada (RAC) represents more than 50 freight and passenger railway companies that move 75 million people and more than $280 billion worth of goods in Canada each year. As the voice of Canada’s railway industry, RAC advocates on behalf of its members and associate members to ensure that the rail sector remains globally competitive, sustainable, and most importantly, safe. Learn more at railcandev.wpengine.com. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About Operation Lifesaver

Established in Canada in 1981, Operation Lifesaver is a national public-rail safety program sponsored by Transport Canada and the Railway Association of Canada. Through partnerships with provincial safety councils, police, railways, the trucking industry and community groups, Operation Lifesaver is dedicated to saving lives by educating Canadians about the hazards surrounding highway/railway crossings and trespassing on railway property.

Operation Lifesaver spreads its motto of “Look, Listen and Live” through its many year-long initiatives that complement RSW, including interactive websitesonline new and professional driver education modules, and social media outreach. In addition, OL’s network of volunteers conducts more than 500 rail safety presentations and activities across Canada each year.