MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - With the
return of the school year, Canadian Pacific Police Service (CPPS)
is reminding students, parents, and caregivers that the safe route
to school does not include trespassing on railway property.
This week, CPPS will be conducting its annual "Back to School
Rail Safety Campaign" across the U.S. portion of its network.
Officers will be paying extra attention to public railway crossings
and railway rights-of-way in and around school zones.
"As students head back to school, we must remind them that any
route that includes illegally and dangerously crossing railway
tracks is the wrong route," said Ken
Marchant, CP's Police Chief. "Parents, teachers, and
caregivers must lead by example and educate about the dangers
associated with railway property and equipment."
According to Federal Railroad Administration statistics, in the
U.S. there have been 500 trespassing incidents in the first six
months of this year, resulting in 262 fatalities.
"As an education organization, we want everyone to get to school
safely," stated Operation Lifesaver Inc.'s President and CEO,
Bonnie Murphy. "Each fall, we remind
families to only cross railroad tracks at designated pedestrian
crossings and to stay away from the tracks at any other time."
Year-round, Operation Lifesaver works with the railroads and
other safety partners to deliver the message that whenever people
"See Tracks" they should "Think Train."
This year, an extra challenge has presented itself with Pokémon
GO.
"With the launch of Pokémon GO this summer, geo-tagged sites
have appeared where train operations and related activities occur,
leading to increased rates of trespassing on CP property," said
Marchant. "We continue to remind the public about the hazards of
playing Pokémon GO, and that tracks and trains are a 'No-Go
Zone'."
For more resources on practicing rail safety, including
materials for teachers of various age groups and an e-learning
program for school bus drivers, please contact Operation Lifesaver
at www.oli.org, or follow them on Twitter @OliNational and
Facebook.com/Operation.Lifesaver.
Note to editors:
- Interviews with CPPS
members are available by request.
- Rail safety tweets,
b-roll, and photos available on www.cpr.ca
About Canadian Pacific
Canadian Pacific
(TSX:CP)(NYSE:CP) is a transcontinental railway in Canada and the
United States with direct links to eight major ports,
including Vancouver and
Montreal, providing North American
customers a competitive rail service with access to key markets in
every corner of the globe. CP is growing with its customers,
offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics
solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpr.ca to see the rail
advantages of Canadian Pacific.
About Operation Lifesaver
Operation Lifesaver is a
nonprofit public safety education and awareness organization
dedicated to reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries at
highway-rail crossings and preventing trespassing on or near
railroad tracks. A national network of trained volunteers provides
free presentations on rail safety and a public awareness campaign,
"See Tracks? Think Train!" equips the general public with tips and
statistics to encourage safe behavior near the tracks. Learn more
at http://www.oli.org; follow OLI on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,
and Instagram.
SOURCE Canadian Pacific