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On the Road

Rail Crossings

Every year Canadians die needlessly at highway/railway grade crossings or while trespassing on railway tracks. For your safety and that of your family:

  • Never drive around or under lowered gates. It is illegal and deadly.
  • At a multiple track crossing waiting for a train to pass, watch out for a second train on the other tracks, approaching in either direction.
  • Always expect a train. Trains do not always follow set schedules.
  • Even if the locomotive engineer sees you, a freight train moving at 120 km/h can take up to 1.6 km or more to stop once the emergency brakes are applied. That's 14 football fields!
  • Do not be fooled by the optical illusion — the train you see is closer and moving faster than you think. If you see a train approaching, wait for it to go by before you proceed across the tracks.
  • At some locations in Canada, trains do not whistle at the highway/railway crossings. Make sure to look and listen prior to crossing any railway tracks.
  • Railway tracks should not be used as a short cut or a walking trail. They are on private property and it is illegal to do so. Don't be caught dead on the tracks.
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