Crossing the tracks where you aren’t supposed to is one of the most dangerous things people do in Dauphin, when it comes to rail safety.
Joe Jardine, a CN Police constable based in Brandon, spoke with us about one of the leading problems he sees in our community.
“Specifically when it comes to Dauphin one of the biggest issues we have is trespassing, people crossing the tracts at a place other than where it’s lawful and safe to do so. In order to cross a railroad, it needs to be at what’s called a level crossing. Meaning, quite literally, the road and or walking path is built up to be level with the rails. Anywhere else is considered trespassing on rail property. It’s very dangerous to do so because the people driving the train aren’t looking for people at those places. They are specifically looking for people at the level crossing anywhere else could be a hazard."
Last year one person died in western Canada because they were trespassing and two were seriously injured.
Crossing the tracks when a train is stopped is also extremely dangerous.
Jardine shares why you shouldn’t try crossing a stopped train.
“No one should ever be crossing through a train. The people driving a train are up at the front, and they can’t see all the way back. They may have no idea that somebody is going underneath a car, which is one of the most dangerous things I’ve ever seen, happen or people climbing up over the rails. When those things start moving, people tend to forget that they don’t start out slow and on a gentle acceleration like a vehicle does. It can start out with a serious jog, and those cars can jump up to 10 to 15 feet upon an immediate pull. Depending on how far back it is on a train and how much slack has been let off between he knuckles."
Pedestrians can use Dauphin’s underpass on Main Street or just wait until the train starts going again and moves on.
