Canadian Pacific reminds students, parents, and caregivers: Stay off the tracks, stay safe

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ - With the return of the school year, Canadian Pacific Police Service (CPPS) is reminding students, parents, and caregivers that the safe route to school does not include trespassing on railway property.

This week, CPPS will be conducting its annual "Back to School Rail Safety Campaign" across the U.S. portion of its network. Officers will be paying extra attention to public railway crossings and railway rights-of-way in and around school zones.

"As students head back to school, we must remind them that any route that includes illegally and dangerously crossing railway tracks is the wrong route," said Ken Marchant, CP's Police Chief. "Parents, teachers, and caregivers must lead by example and educate about the dangers associated with railway property and equipment."

According to Federal Railroad Administration statistics, in the U.S. there have been 500 trespassing incidents in the first six months of this year, resulting in 262 fatalities.

"As an education organization, we want everyone to get to school safely," stated Operation Lifesaver Inc.'s President and CEO, Bonnie Murphy. "Each fall, we remind families to only cross railroad tracks at designated pedestrian crossings and to stay away from the tracks at any other time."

Year-round, Operation Lifesaver works with the railroads and other safety partners to deliver the message that whenever people "See Tracks" they should "Think Train."

This year, an extra challenge has presented itself with Pokémon GO.

"With the launch of Pokémon GO this summer, geo-tagged sites have appeared where train operations and related activities occur, leading to increased rates of trespassing on CP property," said Marchant. "We continue to remind the public about the hazards of playing Pokémon GO, and that tracks and trains are a 'No-Go Zone'."

For more resources on practicing rail safety, including materials for teachers of various age groups and an e-learning program for school bus drivers, please contact Operation Lifesaver at www.oli.org, or follow them on Twitter @OliNational and Facebook.com/Operation.Lifesaver.

Note to editors:
-        Interviews with CPPS members are available by request.
-        Rail safety tweets, b-roll, and photos available on www.cpr.ca

About Canadian Pacific
Canadian Pacific CPCP is a transcontinental railway in Canada and the United States with direct links to eight major ports, including Vancouver and Montreal, providing North American customers a competitive rail service with access to key markets in every corner of the globe. CP is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Visit cpr.ca to see the rail advantages of Canadian Pacific.

About Operation Lifesaver
Operation Lifesaver is a nonprofit public safety education and awareness organization dedicated to reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail crossings and preventing trespassing on or near railroad tracks. A national network of trained volunteers provides free presentations on rail safety and a public awareness campaign, "See Tracks? Think Train!" equips the general public with tips and statistics to encourage safe behavior near the tracks. Learn more at http://www.oli.org; follow OLI on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. 

SOURCE Canadian Pacific