CN police are stopping vehicles at some Sarnia rail crossings this week.
A joint safety enforcement campaign with Sarnia police is underway as part of Rail Safety Week.
CN Great Lakes Division Inspector Scott McCallum says 65 people were killed along Canadian railway tracks last year.
"The big thing is we want to educate people, we want to let people know that when they're at crossings to look, listen, live," says McCallum. "That's the big message that we're always promoting."
He says it's illegal to be on railway property without a valid reason.
"Trespassing, like taking a short cut across tracks and being on railway property, is illegal. Trespassers run the risk of being seriously injured or killed by being illegally on the property," says McCallum.
He says there is also often a misconception with what speed a train is traveling.
"Trains are iconic. There's a bit of romance to trains, but they are huge," says McCallum. "If you have a large freight train going down the tracks, it can't stop like a car or a person on a bike. It take a long time for a train to stop. It would take probably 20 football fields to come to a complete stop."
If you witness an unsafe situation near a railroad you're asked to call 1-800-465-9239.
We are also being encouraged to take the safety pledge at mysafetypledge.com
