Moving Forward: Rail Safety During the “Century of Cities”

As people continue to be drawn to cities, there is a need and opportunity to increase the focus on safety in densely populated areas, including buildings and walkways near rail crossings and tracks. CSX’s approach to safety is multifaceted – and one critical aspect is keeping communities aware of how to stay safe around the railroad, especially if it is near where they live and work.

Some of the highlights from CSX’s community safety efforts in 2015 include:

• Investing in safety trainings by supporting Operation Lifesaver, a national non-profit public information program that aims to reduce collisions, injuries, and fatalities at highway-rail crossings and on railroads. A network of trained volunteers educates hundreds of groups around the country about rail safety. In 2015, CSX employees volunteered 355 hours and shared safety information with more than 237,000 neighbors by partnering with Operation Lifesaver.
• Raising public awareness through the Play It Safe initiative, which highlights the importance of staying safe around trains and tracks. As a part of the campaign, CSX partners with NASCAR through marketing and visibility tactics that help the company reach wide audiences, especially 18 to 34 year-old males – who are most likely to be involved in incidents relating to rail crossing and pedestrian safety.
• Reducing the number of opportunities to cross the railroad at-grade. CSX partnered with communities to minimize accident risk by closing 132 private and at-grade crossings in 2015. Over the last five years, CSX has closed more than five percent of railroad’s at-grade crossings.

To learn more about how CSX is working to enhance safety practices around rail crossings and tracks, visit www.csx.com/responsibility.

You can also check out how CSX partners with nonprofit organizations to focus on safety by visiting http://www.beyondourrails.org/index.cfm/safety/.