{"id":271471,"date":"2022-09-19T10:19:41","date_gmt":"2022-09-19T15:19:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.metrostlouis.org\/?p=271471"},"modified":"2024-02-29T10:02:02","modified_gmt":"2024-02-29T16:02:02","slug":"rail-safety-week-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.metrostlouis.org\/nextstop\/rail-safety-week-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Rail Safety Week 2022: Helpful Reminders to Help Stop Track Tragedies"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"YellowIn observance of National Rail Safety Week 2022, which runs September 19-25, Metro Transit is sharing important reminders you need to be aware of to maximize your safety around railroad tracks.<\/p>\n

In the United States, a person or vehicle is struck by a train every three hours, which equals about 2,920 train-related incidents each year. This eye-opening statistic is a sobering reminder of the importance of being careful around grade crossings, near train tracks and when at transit stations.<\/p>\n

\n

Always expect a train to run on any track,
\nat any time, and in any direction.<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n

The power and force of trains are often underestimated. It takes a MetroLink train 600 feet \u2013 the length of two football fields \u2013 to come to a complete stop when going approximately 55 MPH. Other types of trains can reach speeds over 100 MPH. More than 50% of collisions occur at crossings equipped with lights and\/or gates, and 9 out of 10 rail-related fatalities involve grade crossing collisions or incidents with trespassers.<\/p>\n

With your help, we can prevent tragedies. Here are some tips for staying safe while waiting for your train and riding on the system:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Stand Back:<\/strong> Observe the pavement markings. Stand back from the platform, behind the painted and raised markings. Trains overhang tracks. Never run or ride scooters, skateboards or bicycles in a station.<\/li>\n
  2. Stay off the Tracks:<\/strong> If you drop an item on the tracks, do not attempt to retrieve it. Notify a Metro Transit team member of Metro Public Safety for assistance.<\/li>\n
  3. See Tracks? Think Train:<\/strong>\u00a0Remain alert for oncoming trains on station platforms and while driving or walking. Listen and watch for pedestrian and traffic signals.<\/li>\n
  4. Be Aware of High Voltage:<\/strong>\u00a0Never walk next to or in between the rails. High voltage electrical power can run underground on a third rail or above trains.<\/li>\n
  5. Cross Legally and Safely:<\/strong>\u00a0Cross only at designated crossings. Observe signs, signals and pavement markings. Always look for a train.<\/li>\n
  6. Wait, Look Both Ways:<\/strong>\u00a0Always expect a train. Trains are closer and faster than they appear. Multiple tracks may mean multiple trains. Look for additional trains on adjacent tracks.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Rail Safety Week is spearheaded by Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI),\u00a0 Operation Lifesaver Canada and the Mexican Association of Railroads (AMF). For more information visit https:\/\/oli.org\/about-us\/public-awareness-campaigns\/rail-safety-week<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In observance of National Rail Safety Week 2022, which runs September 19-25, Metro Transit is sharing important reminders you need to be aware of to maximize your safety around railroad tracks. In the United States, a person or vehicle is struck by a train every three hours, which equals about 2,920 train-related incidents each year. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-271471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-safety"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"featured_media_urls":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metrostlouis.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metrostlouis.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metrostlouis.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metrostlouis.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metrostlouis.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=271471"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.metrostlouis.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271471\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.metrostlouis.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=271471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metrostlouis.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=271471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.metrostlouis.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=271471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}