Rail Safety Week 2020 will take place Sept. 21-27 across North America with stakeholders in the U.S., Canada and Mexico focusing on safety actions around railroad property.
Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI), Operation Lifesaver Canada and the Mexican Association of Railroads are leading this year’s observance. The week is designed to raise awareness of safe actions around rail crossings and railroad rights-of-way and to empower the general public to keep themselves safe when around rail property.
Typically, the week contains multiple in-person outreach efforts, safety blitzes and other campaigns, but the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the week’s activities to focus on social media and virtual outreach.
OLI reports there are 2,100 North Americans who are injured or killed annually in railway crossing and trespassing incidents; these are largely preventable events and Rail Safety Week is designed to do just that.
“The [U.S. Department of Transportation] is committed to working with communities, as well as domestic and international partners, to improve pedestrian and vehicle safety near railroads,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.
“Rail Safety Week raises awareness of the need for caution near railroad crossings and train tracks. We appreciate the support of Secretary Chao, the U.S. Department of Transportation and all our Rail Safety Week partners,” said Operation Lifesaver Executive Director Rachel Maleh.
Rail Safety Week began in 2017 and has grown in exposure and added new community partners every year.
Themes of this year’s campaign include partnerships with law enforcement, crossing safety, transit safety, trespass prevention and others.
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Mass Transit will be featuring a rail safety story in this space throughout the week of Sept. 21-27, 2020, to support and draw attention to Rail Safety Week.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
