City of Cambridge, CN Rail and Operation Lifesaver partner on railway safety campaign

Cambridge, Ontario. Sept. 24… Earlier today, in recognition of Rail Safety Week the City of Cambridge, CN Rail and Operation Lifesaver unveiled new Look, Listen and Live safety decals near the railway crossing along Hespeler Road in Cambridge.  Rail Safety Week runs September 23-29, 2019 and is aimed at bringing awareness to the importance of railway safety across Canada.

Mayor Kathryn McGarry welcomed members of the Railway Association of Canada, Operation Lifesaver, and CN Rail and took the opportunity to remind the public of the risks near tracks and the importance of staying alert and exercising caution around railways.

“Every year, dozens of Canadians are killed or injured by engaging in unsafe behavior around railway tracks and trains,” explained Cambridge Mayor, Kathryn McGarry.  “These new sidewalk decals are a strong visual cue for people to remind them of the importance of using caution around railway crossings and hopefully to minimize these tragic accidents.”

“2019 is a very special year for CN as its marks our 100th anniversary. Since the origin, safety has been a core value at CN,” said Scott McCallum, Inspector with CN Police Services. “On our journey to become the safest railroad in North America, we want to continue to collaborate with the communities where we operate to reinforce a strong safety culture to help prevent accidents and injuries at rail crossings, and ensure everyone’s safety on and around railroad infrastructure.”

McCallum reiterated that it is important to stay off the tracks, use railway crossings, follow railway signs and signals, and to keep your distance. Trains travel quick and are usually a lot closer than they seem.

Operation Lifesaver aims to save lives by educating Canadian about the hazards surrounding rail property and trains. Operation Lifesaver is a partnership initiative of the Railway Association of Canada and Transportation Canada. To learn more about rail safety visit www.operationlifesaver.ca

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Primary Media Contact:

Shawn Falcao
Manager of Communications
Corporate Communications
City of Cambridge
falcaos@cambridge.ca

Daniel Salvatore
Manager, Public Affairs - Ontario
Canadian National Railway (CN)
daniel.salvatore@cn.ca