Find a rail-safe location for your wedding photos

It’s wedding season, and what is a wedding without photos? Of course, capturing the special day is pretty important to the bride and groom, and finding the right backdrop for those pictures is key. But using railway tracks is not a smart—or safe—choice.
 
“Tracks, railway bridges, tunnels and other railway property aren’t places to take your wedding photos—or any photos for that matter. Not only are these locations private property, but taking photos on or near railway tracks could get you seriously injured, or even killed,” explains Sarah Mayes, National Director of Operation Lifesaver (OL) Canada. “Our message to couples as well as wedding photographers is that tracks are for trains—not photoshoots. Stay off and stay safe.”
 
Don’t let your special day end in tragedy
 
People often assume that trains are loud—an assumption that can have tragic consequences. Today’s locomotives can be remarkably fast and quiet, so you won’t always hear a train approaching or have time to get out of its way.
 
This is a lesson an Ontario couple learned the hard way when they chose a railway bridge as a backdrop for their wedding photos in 2014. The bride and groom, their wedding party, and a photographer were on a trestle bridge in Orangeville, Ont. when the Credit Valley Explorer, a sightseeing train, came across the tracks. Lucky for the group, the train was going very slowly and was able to come to a complete stop to avoid hitting them.

But not all stories have such a happy ending.

Taking photos on tracks just isn’t safe

Through our #STOPTrackTragedies campaign, we’ve tried to show Canadians the devastating consequences of using train tracks for photos. Two of the campaign’s videos tell the tragic stories of young people who lost their lives while taking photos on tracks.

So, whether it’s your wedding or any other special occasion, choose a safe backdrop for your photos. Otherwise, they could end up being the last photos you ever take.
 
For tips on how to take rail-safe photos, check out our resources page—and share these tips with any professional or novice photographers that you know. It could save a life.