Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), with the assistance of RCMP, the Town of Cochrane and other stakeholders, will be conducting community outreach activities in local schools and through social media to educate people on rail safety.
“In Cochrane and across our network, it’s important to remind parents, caregivers and students to be hyper-vigilant around railway property,” said Ken Marchant, CPR Police chief. “No matter your form of transportation – driving, walking, cycling, skateboarding – people need to know that any route that includes illegally crossing or using railway tracks is the wrong route.”
Cochrane residents can also expect to see heightened enforcement around the railway lines from CPR Police and Cochrane RCMP during this week (Sept. 14-18) as part of CPR’s ‘back to school rail safety campaign.’
“We are all responsible for safety,” said Cochrane mayor Ivan Brooker. “We’re working with CPR and the RCMP to get the word out about rail safety so that no family in Cochrane ever has to deal with another tragedy like the ones we’ve seen here recently.”
Enforcement and education action will focus on high-risk behaviours, such as drivers disobeying railway crossing signals, speeding, using electronic devices while driving and offences involving school and transit buses; pedestrians and cyclists disobeying railway crossing signals or failing to yield the right-of-way to approaching trains, and; people trespassing on railway property.
“The safety of our community is our priority, and Cochrane RCMP officers are working with our partners at Canadian Pacific and within the community to achieve this,” said Cochrane RCMP Sgt. Jeff Campbell. “We too will take the pledge for safety.”
‘Operation Lifesaver,’ a safety partnership with railways and other safety groups, will be in schools with officers helping to deliver the message that when people ‘see tracks’ they should ‘think train.’
To broaden this message, CPR is inviting Cochranites to take the “Cochrane Rail Safe” pledge (example: ‘I pledge to make safe decisions around tracks and trains’) on social media sites like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, by using the hashtag #CochraneRailSafe.
“Ignoring warnings around railway property can result in a serious injury or death, and could have a serious impact on you, your family and friends, your community and railway employees,” says Mike Regimbal, Operation Lifesaver national director. “We aim to get the word out that all these incidents are 100 per cent preventable.”
For more resources on practising rail safety or materials for various age groups, please contact Operation Lifesaver at operationlifesaver.ca or follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
Emergency services were dispatched to Highway 22, just north of the Trans-Canada Highway, Sept. 12 due to a collision involving two vehicles.
Upon arrival, EMS found a sedan and pickup truck involved in the incident, with the sedan sustaining significant damage.
The driver of the sedan, a man in his late 50s, had to be extricated from the vehicle and was transported to hospital by paramedics. His injuries at the time of transportation to hospital was deemed to be critical and life-threatening.
The driver of the pickup truck, a male in his 30s, was also assessed by EMS but declined to be taken to hospital.
The collision continues to be investigated, and alcohol is believed to have been a factor.
