What a railway cop wants you to know about rail safety

In hisyears as an inspector with the CN Police Service, Scott McCallum has seen his share of tragedy on the tracks.

A career spent trying to prevent but sometimes having to investigate fatal railway collisions often leaves him in disbelief that any driver or pedestrian would take a chance with a train.

"It's almost a respect thing," said McCallum in a conversation with CBCNews near CN's rail yard on Eggerton Street. "I can't begin to tell you how many times I've heard 'I didn'tthink it would happen to me.'"

According to Operation Lifesaver, the industry group that promotes rail safety, more than 2,100 North Americans are killed or seriously injured in rail accidents each year, almost all of them preventable.

This is Rail Safety week, when railway companies in North America work to step-up their safety campaign. The message is especially relevant in London, a city book-ended north and south of its downtown core by two busy mainlines.

These are just a handful of the train-related incidents that have happened in London so far this year:

• In JanuaryMalcom Trudell, 26, diedafter the sidewalk snowplow he was operating was struck by a CN train at a grade crossing on Colborne Street.
  
• In June, 18-year-oldBrittany Bergsmawas struck and killed by a Via train in Ingersoll.
  
• In July, a number of people were seenclimbing between the railcars after a mechanical problem left a Canadian Pacific train blockingRichmond Street for more than an hour. No one was hurt.

Here are some steps McCallumsays would prevent most rail accidents :

Don't walk on the tracks It sounds simple, but outside of a grade crossing incident, a train can't kill anyone that doesn't first venture onto the tracks. What some see asa quick shortcut or a harmless walk to explore,McCallumsees as dangerous and illegal trespassing."There are trains coming and going at all times," he said. "We don't want people on railway property who are not authorized to be there."

Understanding that a train can't stop like a car These days trains can be more than three kilometres long. With all that weight and momentum it can take the length of 20 football fields to go from full speed to full stop. That means train crews often can't avoid a collision, even when they see something ahead of them on the tracks.

Around trains, earphones aren't your budsMcCallumhas investigated collisions where pedestrians couldn't hear a train's whistleor the crossing bells because they were wearing headphones. Distracted drivers fiddling with phones have also been hit by trains."You need to stay aware of your surroundings," saidMcCallum

Beware the 'two train' danger at crossings with more than one track Drivers and pedestrians have died trying to travel through a crossing after a train passes, only to be struck by a second train travelling at full speed on an adjacent track. McCallumsays passengers and drivers must wait until crossing bells and lights stop activating and the gates liftbefore travelling through a crossing.

A stalled train can suddenly move McCallumshakes his head at the thought of people climbing between cars because they're unwilling to wait for a stopped train to clear a crossing. "No one knows when that train is going to move," he said. "It just takes a split second for the train to move suddenly. When the train is stopped, respect it," he said.