Rail Safety Week proclaimed in the Town of Amherst
Mayor David Kogon, on behalf of Amherst town council, has proclaimed Sept. 20-Sept. 26, 2021, as Rail Safety Week in the Town of Amherst.
“In the past, our community has experienced the tragic results of train-vehicle and train-pedestrian collisions,” Kogon said. “As a result, we are keenly aware of the necessity to practise safety at all times when in the vicinity of the many locations within our community where rail lines cross our town’s streets.
“Let us all use Rail Safety Week to remind ourselves to always practise safety when near railway crossings. In doing so, we will help reduce avoidable
deaths, injuries and damage caused by incidents involving trains and people.”
The mayor also encouraged town residents to become aware of Operation Lifesaver, an organization funded by the Railway Association of Canada and Transport Canada, that is dedicated to preventing collisions at railway crossings and railway trespassing incidents in Canada.
“We work with the rail industry, governments, law enforcement, labour groups, the media and other organizations and communities from coast to coast to increase awareness about rail safety – because we believe rail safety is a shared responsibility,” the group’s website states.
The site notes that more than 100 Canadians are seriously injured or killed each year as a result of railway crossing or trespassing incidents – almost everyone of them was preventable.
More information on the organization and rail crossing safety can be found at www.operationlifesaver.ca.
In an email to the mayor requesting the town issue the proclamation, CN officials noted that Rail Safety Week will be observed this year in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
It also noted that more than 2,100 North Americans are killed or seriously injured every year because of unsafe behaviour around tracks and trains.
“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,” the email said.
More information on Rail Safety Week can also be found at www.cn.ca/railsafety.
