June 2,
2014
Norfolk Southern
Operation Lifesaver safety train aims to save lives around trains and railroad
property
ATLANTA
- The Peach State Whistle-Stop Safety Train this week starts a 327-mile tour
from the heart of South Georgia to the carpet capital of the world, calling
attention to highway-rail safety and trespasser awareness.
The
train, stopping in nine cities from Valdosta to Dalton in three days, is
operated by Norfolk Southern Railway and Operation Lifesaver to raise public
awareness about being safe and alert around railroad property and highway-rail
grade crossings.
The
whistle-stop safety train begins Tuesday, June 3, the sixth annual observance of
International
Level Crossing Awareness Day,
at Valdosta, traveling to Warner Robins with a stopover at Tifton. Wednesday,
June 4, the train departs Macon for Jonesboro, with a stop at Barnesville. On
Thursday, June 5, the train travels from Atlanta to Dalton, stopping at
Rockmart.
Invited
passengers include state, county and municipal elected leaders, state and local
transportation officials, law enforcement officers and emergency responders,
school transportation directors, trucking officials, media, and others who have
a vested interest in public safety.
"Our
goal is to save lives," said William Miller, Norfolk Southern manager grade
crossing safety. "Car-train crashes and casualties caused by trespassing on
railroad property are preventable, and we want to remind Georgians to be safe
around highway-rail grade crossings and other railroad property."
In
2013, 96 vehicle-train collisions in Georgia resulted in 13 fatalities and 63
injuries. Fifteen people died and 21 people suffered serious injuries while
trespassing on railroad property. Nationally, 1,193 people died or were injured
seriously in highway-rail grade crossing incidents, and 908 were killed or
injured while walking on or near railroad tracks.
"Georgia
historically ranks in the top 10 states nationally for vehicle-train collisions
and trespass incidents because of the high volume of train and vehicular traffic
and the large number of crossings, nearly 8,000," said Jennie Glasgow, Operation
Lifesaver state coordinator. The state has one of the most extensive freight
rail networks in the U.S., with 5,000 miles of track. "It is imperative that we
remind citizens continuously of the inherent dangers of trying to beat a train
at a crossing or otherwise trespassing by taking shortcuts on railroad
tracks."
The
safety train includes two vintage passenger railroad cars restored by Norfolk
Southern and outfitted with television monitors showing a live video feed from a
camera mounted on the lead locomotive. Passengers see firsthand what engineers
see every day from locomotives pulling thousands of tons of freight, keeping
Georgia's economy thriving.
The
train, powered by two locomotives painted with the Operation Lifesaver logo,
also includes the Norfolk Southern Exhibit Car and an NS research car. The
Exhibit Car showcases the benefits of rail freight transportation. The research
car is a mobile laboratory equipped with computers that continuously acquire and
analyze data and monitor track conditions and locomotive performance en
route.
The
Georgia train is one of four safety whistle-stops Norfolk Southern will operate
across 1,569 miles of railroad, stopping in 41 cities in 10 states. June 9-13,
the Appalachian train will operate from Cleveland, Tenn., to Lynchburg, Va. The
Keystone train will operate from Harrington, Del., to Latrobe, Pa., June 23-16.
The Great Midwest whistle-stop will travel from Monroe, Mich., to Moberly, Mo.,
July 7-11.
Operation
Lifesaver
(www.oli.org) is a national nonprofit safety
organization whose mission is to end collisions, deaths and injuries at
highway-rail grade crossings and along railroad rights of way. Its new campaign,
"See
Tracks? Think Train,"
is featured in Georgia radio and TV spots and on billboards. Georgia
Operation Lifesaver
(www.georgiaol.org) was formed in 1974 and
celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
Norfolk
Southern Corporation
(NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk
Southern Railway Company subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route
miles
in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in
the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail
carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the
East and is a major transporter of coal, automotive, and industrial
products.
###
Georgia Operation
Lifesaver contact:
Jennie
Glasgow, 770-393-2711
(gaol@mindspring.com)
Norfolk Southern
contacts: