ORANGE, Calif., Sept. 17, 2020 /-- In recognition of September Rail Safety Month and U.S. Rail Safety Week, the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency, which manages the Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner® service, is elevating educational resources and tools that can help individuals stay safe around railroad tracks.
Digital tools and resources are available on the Pacific Surfliner website including activities for kids, lesson plans for teachers and parents, and downloadable presentations developed by Operation Lifesaver and California Operation Lifesaver (CAOL), two non-profit entities that work year-round to promote rail safety.
"Rail Safety Month is an opportunity for communities to come together and highlight the importance of being vigilant around the railroad tracks," said Al Murray, chairman of the LOSSAN Agency. "We are proud to support this initiative and help educate the public that walking, jogging, and taking pictures on or near the tracks is not only illegal, but also very dangerous."
September is Rail Safety Month in California, and September 21-27, 2020 is U.S. Rail Safety Week across the nation. California leads the nation in annual fatalities due to highway-rail grade crossing and trespassing incidents, according to CAOL and the Federal Railroad Administration.
Most incidents are preventable by following simple safety rules, including:
- Never walk on or along train tracks; it's illegal trespassing and highly dangerous.
- Cross train tracks only at designated pedestrian or roadway crossings, and obey all warning signs and signals posted there.
- Stay alert around railroad tracks. Don't use your phone, wear headphones or let other things distract you and possibly prevent you from hearing an approaching train.
- Report suspicious items, persons, or activity immediately to the Amtrak Police Department by approaching a uniformed officer, calling (800) 331-0008, sending a text to APD11 (27311), or by calling 911. Enter these numbers in your cell phone.
"Every year, hundreds of people die needlessly on or near California's railroad tracks," said Nancy Sheehan-McCulloch, Executive Director of California Operation Lifesaver. "It's critical that we keep educating the public on ways to keep themselves and their loved ones safe around train tracks."
In addition to increasing awareness about rail safety, the Pacific Surfliner remains dedicated to the safety and wellbeing of passengers and crews during the ongoing pandemic. A number of new safety and cleaning measures have been implemented on stations and on trains. Visit pacificsurfliner.com for additional information.
About the Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner®
The Pacific Surfliner travels along a 351-mile coastal rail route through San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, serving 27 stations. It is the busiest state-supported intercity passenger rail route in the United States with 26 daily trains and annual ridership of nearly 3 million. To learn more and plan a trip, visit PacificSurfliner.com.
About the LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency
The Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency is a joint powers authority composed of rail owners, operators, and planning agencies along the entire LOSSAN rail corridor. In addition to working to improve passenger rail ridership, revenue, on-time performance, operational flexibility, and safety, the LOSSAN Agency assumed management responsibility for the Pacific Surfliner service in July 2015, following the execution of an interagency transfer agreement with the state of California. For more information, visit lossan.org.
For More Information:
Emilia Doerr, LOSSAN Agency, edoerr@octa.net
Media Contact:
Nicole Freeman, The ACE Agency, nicole@theaceagency.com
