Quarterly Newsletter

Illinois Operation Lifesaver (IL OL) extends sincere thanks to everyone who supported and participated in rail safety efforts throughout 2025. Your dedication and service were essential to advancing our mission and ensuring rail safety education continued to reach communities across Illinois.

This year marked significant progress through new and successful partnerships with Illinois railroad museums statewide. By hosting banner displays and informational tables at seasonal museum events, IL OL expanded public awareness and connected with new audiences in engaging, community-focused settings.

In 2025, IL OL also launched the state program–funded “I Witnessed” four-part rail safety video series, strengthening safety education through real-world storytelling. Additionally, IL OL partnered with Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) presenting to over 10,000 employees and safety managers, who became Operation Lifesaver Authorized Volunteers. These trained rail safety experts will continue sharing rail safety messages with IDOT employees who work alone along Illinois’ railways.

These accomplishments reflect the commitment, professionalism, and passion of our volunteers and partners. Together, you made 2025 a year of meaningful impact and progress for rail safety across the state.

IL OL is advancing rail safety education through “I Witnessed,” a powerful, four-part video series that brings rail safety messages to life through first-hand experiences. The series features the voices of a bereaved mother, a freight conductor, a locomotive engineer, and a survivor of a rail incident—sharing real stories that underscore the serious and lasting impact of unsafe behavior around trains and tracks.

To amplify this message, IL OL is seeking funding to broadcast the :15- and :30-second versions of the videos on television networks across Illinois. Television placement will allow these compelling stories to reach millions of viewers, reinforcing life-saving rail safety awareness statewide.

Donations directly support broadcast airtime, expand public education, and help prevent rail-related injuries and fatalities. Every contribution helps move proven safety messages from screens into communities where they can make a difference.

As we begin 2026, IL OL proudly marks a significant milestone—30 years of advancing rail safety across our state. Since our incorporation on March 27, 1996, IL OL has spent three decades empowering communities with life-saving rail safety education. Thanks to the dedication of our volunteers, partners, and supporters, we have worked together to educate the public, prevent tragedies on the tracks, and save lives.

This anniversary is a powerful reflection of the commitment, passion, and perseverance that have shaped our mission over the past 30 years. It is a time to honor where we’ve been, celebrate the impact we’re making today, and look ahead with purpose—continuing our work to ensure Illinois remains safer around trains and tracks for generations to come.