Amtrak, in partnership with its stakeholders, is promoting education and enforcement of safety on the railways across the United States as part of the country’s Operation Clear Track.

A briefing held in Chicago, Illinois, by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) launched a campaign with the slogan “See Tracks? Think Train”.

From Monday, 21st to Sunday, 27th September, Amtrak’s Police Department is working with emergency responders, including more than 200 police departments and other agencies, to improve the education and enforcement of traffic safety laws during “Operation Clear Track”. The department is hoping to improve on last year’s figure, when more than 70,000 rail safety education cards were distributed at crossings and other locations across the country.

This is the tenth year that what was previously known as Rail Safety Week has been held. The week concentrates on providing education about rail safety and, led by Operation Lifesaver and partners, is designed to encourage people to focus on the importance of making safe choices whenever they are driving or walking anywhere near railway tracks and trains.

In the UK, a 23% drop in trespass incidents across railway lines on the South Wales Metro has been attributed by Transport for Wales (TfW) to the success of holding rail safety education workshops that were attended by 50,000 schoolchildren.

In July, GB Railfreight launched a Work Safe = Home Safe campaign to improve its safety culture and to ensure that safety is at the forefront of every decision staff take.

“This year we are honoured to host a media briefing in Chicago by National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy. “This is in addition to our annual projects of “Operation Clear Track” and “See Tracks? Think Train Week,” both with Operation Lifesaver, a national non-profit advancing rail safety. While we appreciate the additional public focus this brings, we promote rail safety externally and internally every day and every week.”

Steve Predmore, Executive Vice President and Chief Safety Officer, Amtrak