Operation Lifesaver, Inc. Shares Rail Safety Education Methods with Indian Railways Delegation
WASHINGTON, DC, April 8, 2013 – Operation Lifesaver, Inc. (OLI, www.oli.org) President and CEO Joyce Rose met today with a delegation of officials from Indian Railways, India’s state-owned railroad, as they visited the U.S. on a trade mission. The meeting was organized by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to familiarize the delegation with U.S. rail safety education best practices. India faces a steep rail safety challenge; according to the February 2012 High Level Safety Review Committee report to the Minister of Railways, almost 15,000 people are killed each year while unlawfully trespassing on India’s railways. Additionally, according to Indian Railways’ safety statistics, there were 773 casualties in 2011 due to train collisions, train-vehicle collisions at crossings, and derailments.
“Improving rail safety for passengers, motorists and pedestrians is a universal goal worldwide,” said Rose. “We had a good discussion with the Indian Railways delegation about OLI’s safety education outreach efforts, which have contributed to an 83 percent reduction in U.S. vehicle-train collisions over the past 40 years,” she stated.
India has the fifth largest railway network in the world, covering approximately 40,000 miles throughout the country, according to the USTDA. Over 10 billion passengers and one billion tons of freight are transported annually, and as the country continues a rapid pace of development, Indian passenger and freight traffic are expected to increase significantly in the coming years.
About Operation Lifesaver
Operation Lifesaver's mission is to end collisions, deaths and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and along railroad rights of way. A national network of trained volunteers provides free presentations on rail safety. Learn more at http://www.oli.org; follow OLI on Facebook, Twitterand Pinterest.
###
