21 June 2006
CP Railway Conducts Two Day Safety Blitz in Golden
Golden British Columbia - Canadian Pacific Railway Police
Service members were in town recently to remind Golden residents to be safe around tracks, obey the signs and respect the company's
property.
Constable Larry Parsons and two other members patrolled the tracks, watching for both pedestrians and cars crossing illegally.
Parsons says the time spent in Golden was in response to complaints about trespassers spotted and CP Railway cannot allow people to just
cross the tracks wherever and whenever they wish - the safety risk is too high. "The safety of the public and our employees is
paramount," says Parsons.
"We do get complaints of trespassers crossing the tracks by our train crews," says Parsons. "The last thing they want to
do is strike anybody and sometimes people don't use good common sense. People try to beat the train and the danger there is not only
potential for loss of life or injury, but those trains have to put on emergency braking."
Parsons says emergency braking can cause damage to the trains and to crew due to the sudden and jolting stops required to quickly brake
the large and cumbersome train cars.
Although the dangers may seem unlikely to some, in 2005, the Transportation Safety Board reported 174 people in Canada were either
killed or seriously injured in incidents involving trains. This number does not include the many near misses that occured as well.
Parsons says on top of the danger to the individuals crossing the tracks and the crew on and around the trains, there is also the
possible threat to CP property at stake that CP police members have to be on the lookout for.
"If people are on the property, they may take advantage of a potential opportunity, so we'd prefer if no one is on the property
who shouldn't be," he explains.
Parsons says on top of the danger to the individuals crossing the tracks and the crew on and around the trains, there is also the
possible threat to CPR property at stake that CPR police members have to be on the lookout for.
"If people are on the property, they may take advantage of a potential opportunity, so we'd prefer if no one is on the property
who shouldn't be," he explains.
CPR does regular patrols of its tracks, says Parsons, to ensure safety on and around CP Railway property.
The team will also be conducting this initiative in other areas of the B.C. Interior where problems have been identified.
A CPR press release stated the primary goal of the two-day blitz was to "promote increased rail safety awareness and
prevent tragic consequences in the future. However, noting the seriousness of the situation, railway police will be issuing fines if
necessary."
Parsons says although they did not issue any fines, they did give almost a dozen warnings out to help educate the public about the
dangers of trespassing on railway property.
"It's part of the education process," says Parsons. "If we have a second encounter with the same person, they can expect
some type of enforcement action."
Trespassers can be charged uner the Railway Safety Act, which carries a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or one year in jail.
The CPR Police Service asks the public to assist in reporting suspicious or criminal activity by contacting the Canadian Pacific
Railway Police Service at 1-800-716-9132, or by calling the local RCMP.
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