OPP in Eastern Ontario Participate in Operation Aimed at Reducing Preventable Deaths & Injuries on Train Lines

Smiths Falls – Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) detachments across eastern Ontario are joining forces with agencies across Canada and North America on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, for “Operation Clear Track”- the continent’s single largest rail-safety law-enforcement initiative.

Coordinated by Amtrak, Operation Lifesaver Inc. and Operation Lifesaver Canada, Operation Clear Track aims to reduce railway crossing and trespassing incidents in Canada and the U.S. – incidents which seriously injure or kill more than 2,100 people each year. The event is held annually during Rail Safety Week (September 23-29, 2024).

“Ignoring railway signs and signals, being distracted at rail stations or crossings, or using tracks as a shortcut or a recreational path can lead to track tragedies that are entirely preventable,” said Chris Day, Interim National Director, of Operation Lifesaver Canada. “Operation Clear Track’s goal is to encourage people to avoid risky behaviours around tracks and trains so they stay safe and stay alive.”

More than 600 locations across Canada are participating in Operation Clear Track this year. Each will promote rail safety by having conversations and sharing tips with drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. They will share rail safety resources and content, and – as ever – they will enforce rail crossing and trespassing laws.

Day adds: “Track tragedies affect not only the individual but their loved ones and entire communities. Railroaders and first responders, too. Rail safety is a shared responsibility. We all have a role to play.”

For more information about Operation Clear Track, Rail Safety Week and other rail-safety initiatives and tips, please visit: operationlifesaver.ca