The Whistle-Stop Safety Train will start a 327-mile tour this week from Valdosta to Dalton, Ga., to raise public awareness about being safe around railroad property and highway-rail grade crossings. Operated by Norfolk Southern Corporation (NS) and Operation Lifesaver, the train will visit nine cities on the three-day tour.
On June 3, the sixth annual observance of International Level Crossing Awareness Day, the whistle-stop safety train will travel from Valdosta to Warner Robins with a stopover at Tifton. Wednesday, June 4, the train departs Macon for Jonesboro, with a stop at Barnesville. On June 5, the train travels from Atlanta to Dalton, stopping at Rockmart.
Passengers invited on the tour include state, county and municipal elected leaders, state and local transportation officials, law enforcement officers and emergency responders, school transportation directors, trucking officials, media, and others who have a vested interest in public safety.
“Our goal is to save lives,” said William Miller, NS manager grade crossing safety. “Car-train crashes and casualties caused by trespassing on railroad property are preventable, and we want to remind Georgians to be safe around highway-rail grade crossings and other railroad property.”
The safety train has two locomotives with the Operation Lifesaver logo and two vintage passenger railroad cars restored by NS. The passenger cars are equipped with television monitors showing a live video feed from the lead locomotive, which gives passengers a first-hand view of what engineers see from the locomotive. The train also has an NS Exhibit Car and an NS research car. The Exhibit Car showcases the benefits of rail freight transportation, and the research car is equipped with computers that analyze data and monitor track conditions and locomotive performance en route.
The state of Georgia has one of the most extensive freight rail networks in the U.S., with 5,000 miles of track. In 2013, the state reported 96 vehicle-train collisions that resulted in 13 fatalities and 63 injuries. “Georgia historically ranks in the top 10 states nationally for vehicle-train collisions and trespass incidents because of the high volume of train and vehicular traffic and the large number of crossings, nearly 8,000,” said Jennie Glasgow, Operation Lifesaver state coordinator “It is imperative that we remind citizens continuously of the inherent dangers of trying to beat a train at a crossing or otherwise trespassing by taking shortcuts on railroad tracks.”
The Peach State Whistle-Stop Safety Train is one of four safety whistle-stops that Norfolk Southern will operate, stopping in 41 cities in 10 states. The Appalachian train will operate from Cleveland, Tenn., to Lynchburg, Va., from June 9-13. The Keystone train will operate from Harrington, Del., to Latrobe, Pa., June 23 to July 16. The Great Midwest whistle-stop will travel from Monroe, Mich., to Moberly, Mo., July 7-11.