Released on April 30, 2013
The Government of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Shortline Railway Association remind the public to be safe and cautious near the province’s railways.
"The majority of rail-related injuries and deaths are preventable and we want to ensure that our children respect these large and potentially dangerous machines,” Highways and Infrastructure Minister Don McMorris said. “These booklets are a fun, interactive way for the Government of Saskatchewan to raise rail safety awareness and teach young people they must never play on or walk along tracks.”
McMorris shared the important safety message with Grade 4 students today at St. Josaphat Catholic School in Regina. The 2013 Train Safety Activity Booklets were distributed to the students in conjunction with National Public-Rail Safety Week. The booklets are produced annually by the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure in partnership with the Saskatchewan Shortline Railway Association and distributed to about 100 schools located near shortline rail-lines.
“Public safety remains a top priority as our shortline network continues to grow,” Saskatchewan Shortline Railway Association President Conrad Johnson said. “We are all responsible for preventing accidents on and around the province’s railways and it’s important that people learn safe behaviour from a young age.”
National Public-Rail Safety Week, which this year runs from April 29 to May 5, is an initiative of Operation Lifesaver, who works with rail industry and government partners to reduce crossing collisions and trespassing incidents along railways in communities across Canada.
The Train Safety Activity Booklet is available in PDF at www.highways.gov.sk.ca/sask-rail/shortlinesafety. A French version of the booklet prepared with the help of the government’s Francophone Affairs Branch can also be found on the website. Further resources on railway safety can be found at Operation Lifesaver’s website at www.operationlifesaver.ca.
As regulator of shortline rail in Saskatchewan, the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure reviews safety management plans, provides reflective tape for rail signs and locomotives, and conducts routine safety inspections of locomotives and the province’s 1,180 provincially-regulated shortline crossings.
Saskatchewan has 13 operational privately-owned shortline railways on about 2,000 km of provincially-regulated track.
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For more information, contact:
Joel Cherry
Highways and Infrastructure
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4805
Steve Shaheen
Highways and Infrastructure
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4867