Safety first when ensuring supply chain flows smoothly

By Constable Dean Solowan, CN Police Service, Mountain Division

The COVID-19 outbreak has changed many lives in many different and individual ways.

During these challenging times there is one thing people continue to rely on and that is supplies, whether it be food, or medical. These supplies are being moved around the country by tractor trailers and trains.   These two methods of product delivery are the backbone to the economy.

This March a freight train had a collision with a propane tanker truck which caused both tanks to rupture, resulting in a community evacuation and delay in train movement. The cause? Failure to stop for a train within 500 metres of the marked crossing, in which the driver was okay but charged with Careless Driving.

In many of these cases, the downtime for train movement can be affected from hours to days. In all these collisions or near misses let us not forget about the train crew and truck driver, they have a front seat and the outcome can be entrenched in their minds or change their lives forever. This type of delay will have an impact in product delivery and unnecessary deployment and use of resources.  All of these incidents are avoidable and the main cause was not obeying signs.  In 2019, CN Police members charged 2,423 drivers and warned 354 others for railway crossing violations.

Some key points CN Police would like to emphasize to all drivers:

-One locomotive engine alone is 210 tonnes. When a train is in motion, it is the longest, heaviest piece of rolling steel in the world

-A train travelling 100km/hr will on average take two kilometres or 18-20 football fields to stop

-Ensure you have space to completely clear the crossing

-Slow down, look both ways and proceed safely over the crossing

-Stop no closer than 5 metres from the nearest rail

-If CN Police have to be contacted, use the information on the yellow sticker at the crossing  to identify the exact location and call 1-800-465-9239

-Don’t be distracted by your truck’s electronics or your phone

-Complacency is the wrong mindset

Our families, communities and country rely on our safe practices to deliver merchandise.

We all have a role in safety.