(CSX issued the following on May 5.)
BREWTON, Ala. — As part of its commitment to safety, CSX Transportation (CSXT) will hold several railroad safety awareness activities on Tuesday, May 6, 2008 in conjunction with the Brewton Police Department, the Brewton Fire Department as well as Alabama Operation Lifesaver Volunteers.
A safety blitz will take place at the CSXT railroad crossing at Mildred and Deer Streets from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. Drivers in that area will be greeted by CSXT employees, Operation Lifesaver volunteers and area first responders, who will distribute safety flyers to drivers while they are stopped at the red lights on either side of the street approaching the crossing.
In addition, CSXT will conduct a Railroad Safety Emergency Responder (RSER) class from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. at the Brewton City Hall.
“CSX Transportation is committed to helping communities improve public safety at railroad-highway grade crossings,” said Cliff Stayton, CSXT’s director-public safety awareness. “The awful consequences of vehicle-train collisions are made even more tragic by how easily they can be avoided by simply obeying the law and using good judgment.”
Crossing Safety Tips
— Trains do not operate on a predictable schedule, and they can move ineither direction at any time.
— Locomotives weigh approximately 200 tons. Trains with 100 railcars canweigh more than 6,000 tons. A train hitting an automobile isproportional to an automobile running over a soda can.
— Trains do not stop quickly. A standard-sized freight train going at 55miles per hour needs more than a mile to stop even after the emergencybrakes are applied.
Alabama Crossing Statistics
— Across the nation, more than 339 people died in train-car collisions in2007, 15 in Alabama.
— Alabama is ranked 7th in the nation for the number of fatalities atgrade crossings.
— Alabama is ranked 23rd in the nation for the number of trespassingfatalities last year.
CSX Transportation Inc. is a principal operating company of CSX
Corporation. CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Fla., is one of the leading transportation companies, providing rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services. The company’s transportation network spans 21,000 miles with service to 23 eastern states and the District of Columbia, and connects to more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports. More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at the company’s web site, http://www.csx.com.