The week of Sept. 18 marks the seventh annual Rail Safety Week across Montana and North America to raise awareness of rail safety.
Every three hours, a person or vehicle is hit by a train in the United States. Each year, more than 2,100 people in North America are injured or killed in train incidents. Crossing tracks and trespassing on private property are two of the most common occurrences. Rail Safety Week aims to educate people on effectively using highway-rail grade crossings and what to do when near train tracks. Rail Safety Week will use different themes and events, Monday through Sunday, to teach rail crossing best practices.
Schedule of events — Sept. 18-24, 2023
- Monday — The theme of the day is #STOPTrackTragedies, with a social media initiative centered around the hashtag. The primary intended audience for this day is news media, government officials and the general public.
- Tuesday — Operation Clear Track, an event that in the U.S. is led by Amtrak, focuses on the role that law enforcement and first responders play in stopping train tragedies.
- Wednesday — Crossing Safety will educate those in attendance on how, where and when to safely cross train tracks and is aimed at the general public, farmers, new drivers, outdoor enthusiasts and the homeless.
- Thursday — Aimed at professional drivers, Thursday’s Transit Safety theme focuses on mitigating and eliminating incidents involving commuter riders, buses and other forms of public transportation.
- Friday — Wear Red for Rail Safety is an initiative aimed at spreading awareness around the state of Montana and the country as a whole.
- Saturday — Trespassing along railroad rights of way is the leading cause of railroad-related death in America. Saturday’s theme, Trespass Prevention, aims to identify common misconceptions and educate the public — including pedestrians, joggers, outdoor adventurers, college students and the homeless — about the importance of staying off tracks and private railroad property and always expecting a train when venturing out.
- Sunday — No Photo/Video/Selfie is Worth the Risk concludes the Rail Safety Week activities to inform photographers and influencers that their hobby can be life-threatening if done irresponsibly.
The ultimate goal
John Althof, president of Montana Operation Lifesaver, said Rail Safety Week aims to educate about rail safety, creating awareness about the potential dangers railways can present to pedestrians and drivers.
“People need to know that railroad property is private property, so stay away, stay off and stay safe,” Althof said.
A new aspect of this year’s rail-safety week — one that increases knowledge and awareness — is an online pledge, through the Operation Lifesaver website, that reinforces the safe and smart choices that can maintain rail safety.
Measures like the pledge are key to Operation Lifesaver’s work, which has contributed to an 82% decrease in collisions between trains and vehicles since 1972.
"We want everyone to make it home safely,” Althof said. “When you approach a rail crossing or railway property, it’s important to look, listen and live.”
