To mark the start of Public Rail safety Week (Apr 28, May 4) the federal government is announcing over $9.2 million dollars in funding to improve level crossing upgrades.
Level crossings or grade crossings are where the road surface is level with and traverses directly across a railway line. The crossing upgrade programme could involve up to 600 level crossings across the country.
“While Canada has one of the safest rail systems in the world, improvements can still be made,” Minister of Transport Lisa Raitt said in a statement Sunday. “This investment will enhance safety for pedestrians and motorists at over 600 locations across the country, and help save lives.”
250 vehicle/train collisions, 90 pedestrian/train accidents per year
Almost half of the railway related deaths and injuries in Canada occur at the grade crossings. Every year in Canada, there are roughly 250 collisions involving trains and vehicles and 90 between trains and pedestrians.
The locomotive of the crash near Ottawa pushed off the tracks and showing damage from the impact of the bus into it’s side (photo-Transportation Safety Board) CLICK to ENLARGE
Some of the proposed safety improvements are:
-installing flashing lights, bells and gates where none currently exist
-replacing incandescent lights with brighter LEDs;
-adding gates or extra lights to existing signal systems;
-interconnecting crossing signals to nearby highway traffic signals;
-modifying operating circuits within automated warning systems;
-improving roadway alignment or grades; and
-modifying nearby intersections and adding traffic control signals in some circumstances.
One of Canad’s worst train/vehicle collisions in decades in Canada occurred last September when a commuter bus drove past working warning signals, broke a barrier gate and hit the side of train. Six people, including the bus driver, were killed in the accident which occurred not far from the national capital, Ottawa.
Deadliest train/vehicle accidents
1936- August- Louiseville Quebec- a truck carrying men back from a political meeting, passed a line of cars trying to beat a train and was struck, with 25 people killed.
1960- November- Lamont Alberta, a train struck a school bus ripping it in half with 16 students killed
1966- October-Dorion Quebec, outside Montreal- train strikes school bus with 19 killed
1975-December-Scarborough Ontario- train strikes city bus stalled on tracks as passengers flee, nine deaths.
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