JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CSX Corp. (NASDAQ: CSX) will join Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI), to conduct the sixth annual Rail Safety Week campaign to educate and empower the public to make safe decisions around trains and railroad tracks. We will be partnering with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), other Class 1 railroads, Amtrak, commuter rail-service providers and law enforcement agencies to improve safety awareness around tracks and trains. Through public events, digital billboards and social media messages during the week of September 19-25, CSX will work to reduce the number of grade crossing and trespass incidents in communities across its 26-state network.
“Every collision at a grade crossing and on the railroad tracks is preventable,” said Sean Douris, chief of police, public safety and infrastructure protection. “At CSX, our goal is zero incidents. Rail Safety Week offers the opportunity for us to encourage motorists and pedestrians in communities along our network to remain alert around tracks and to take the necessary precautions to stay safe.”
According to national statistics, each year approximately 2,100 North Americans are killed or seriously injured when engaging in unsafe behavior around tracks and trains. In the U.S. alone, a person or vehicle is hit by a train every 3 hours.
Each day of this week-long collaborative effort will focus on a different safety theme, such as crossing safety and trespass prevention. CSX police will engage in education and enforcement activities in several states where crossing collisions ranked highest in 2021.
To further increase awareness of this vital public safety initiative, this year CSX unveiled a new OLI rail safety commemorative locomotive, painted at the railroads locomotive shop in Huntington, West Virginia. The CSXT 4568 engine will travel the company’s rail network as a visual reminder for the public to be safe at highway-rail grade crossings and near railroad tracks.
To help spread the lifesaving safety messages, please visit our website and share Rail Safety Week information with others on social media. (www.csx.com/railsafetyweek)
About CSX
CSX, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a premier transportation company. It provides rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services and solutions to customers across a broad array of markets, including energy, industrial, construction, agricultural and consumer products. For nearly 200 years, CSX has played a critical role in the nation’s economic expansion and industrial development. Its network connects every major metropolitan area in the eastern United States, where nearly two-thirds of the nation’s population resides. It also links more than 230 short-line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports with major population centers and farming towns alike. More information about CSX Corp. and its subsidiaries is available at www.csx.com. Like us on Facebook (http://facebook.com/OfficialCSX) and follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/CSX).
Contact:
Bryan Tucker, Corporate Communications
855-955-6397
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/14386156-f3b7-4017-b4e0-4e4c9bfd3347
