OL launches new Rail Safety Toolkit for Canadian municipalities

Railways play an essential role in the lives of Canadians, transporting both people and goods across the country. But with almost 45,000 kilometres of railway tracks across Canada, we need to work together to ensure that residents in cities, towns and rural communities know how to stay rail safe.

Unfortunately, tragic incidents happen on the rails each year. In fact, more than 2,100 North Americans are killed or seriously injured every year in railway crossing and trespassing incidents. What’s even more tragic is that almost all these incidents could be prevented—if people knew how to act safely around tracks and trains.

Operation Lifesaver (OL) Canada’s new Rail Safety Toolkit makes it easy for municipalities to share important rail safety information with their residents to ensure they know how to stay safe. 

“We believe that rail safety is a shared responsibility, and we need municipalities’ help to keep Canadians safe,” says Sarah Mayes, National Director, Operation Lifesaver Canada. “This new toolkit makes it easy for municipalities across the country to find and share the information that residents and workers need to stay safe. It’s all about saving lives.”
 
Providing municipalities with a one-stop shop for rail safety information 
 
The Rail Safety Toolkit provides all the information that municipalities need to keep residents safe―from social media posts to rail safety brochures and links to safety videos. It also suggests some simple steps that municipalities can take to promote rail safety in their community, such as:

• Sharing OL’s rail-safety graphics and posts on social media, and including rail safety information on their website.
• Informing emergency responders and municipal workers about how to stay safe by sharing OL’s rail safety brochures with them. 
• Taking part in OL’s #Look.Listen.Live. Community Safety Partnership Program. By installing rail safety decals at key crossings, municipalities can encourage pedestrians, cyclists and motorists to stay alert around tracks and trains.
• Participating in OL’s campaigns. Every year we run nationwide campaigns to raise awareness about rail safety, like our popular #STOPTrackTragedies campaign and Rail Safety Week (September 21-27, 2020). We're always looking for municipalities to share our message and co-host events.

So, come on Canada, get onboard and help us share the rail safety message with residents from coast to coast. Check out our new Municipal Rail Safety Toolkit today. By working together, we can make Canadians more aware of the hazards around railway property—and save lives in the process.