London becomes Canada’s second municipality to participate in national railway crossing safety-awareness program
September 25, 2018
LONDON, ON – Every year, dozens of Canadians — especially young Canadians —are killed or injured around railway tracks and trains. Collisions at railway crossings are tragically common; in 2017, there were 142 such incidents across Canada which killed 19 people and seriously injured another 21.
Today, Operation Lifesaver, in partnership with HUB Surface Systems and the City of London, unveiled a new community rail-safety program aimed at curbing these tragic incidents. Through the Look. Listen. Live. Community Safety Partnership Program, Operation Lifesaver will work to identify locations where rail safety decals can be installed across the country, to raise awareness among people walking, cycling, and driving, about the need to exercise caution around railway crossings.
Representatives from Operation Lifesaver and its partner railways, Mayor Matt Brown, alongside City staff and members of the local business community, unveiled the first installed decals today on the sidewalks approaching the Richmond Street / Canadian Pacific Railway crossing in downtown London.
The decals are yellow and diamond-shaped — similar to traffic warning signs — and feature a black silhouette of a train, as well as the words “Look. Listen. Live.” The decals will also be installed at London’s Rectory Street and Colborne Street crossings of the Canadian National Railway south of York Street in the near future.
“Our hope is that when people see these decals, it will remind them to pay closer attention to their surroundings when they’re at a railway crossing. We want them to slow down, look in both directions, listen for approaching trains, and obey railway warning signals,” said Sarah Mayes, Operation Lifesaver’s National Director.
The City of London is serviced by a network of railway lines that move freight and passengers. This network is comprised of tracks owned by Canadian National Railway (CNR), Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and Goderich-Exeter Railway (GEXR), and has more than 60 crossings in the area. These railways are crucial to the economic prosperity of London and Southwestern Ontario as they provide a reliable and affordable way to transport goods and people.
“We’re proud to be one of the first municipalities in Canada to take part in the new Look. Listen. Live. Community Safety Partnership Program,” said Mayor Matt Brown. “Working with our friends at Operation Lifesaver, we’ve been able to enhance the presence of rail safety reminders in our community as we strive to make our local rail network and its surroundings even safer.”
Additional measures underway by the City of London to create a safe and accessible environment around railway crossings include:
- rehabilitating sidewalks near crossings
- improving pavement markings and signage leading up to the crossing
- improving sightlines
- developing a system for real-time alerts for people driving
About Operation Lifesaver
Operation Lifesaver is a national public rail-safety program sponsored by Transport Canada, the Railway Association of Canada and its members, including CN, CP, VIA Rail, exo, Metrolinx, West Coast Express and Genesee & Wyoming, among others. Through partnerships with safety councils, police, the trucking industry and community groups, Operation Lifesaver works to save lives by educating Canadians about the hazards of rail crossings and trespassing on railway property.