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Police band trumpets importance of Rail Safety Week
Monday, 13 August 2018
Rail Safety Week was kicked off in grand style today, with members of the South Australian Police Band heralding its start at Adelaide Railway Station.
The big sound drew attention from passengers, with many stopping for a lengthy listen.
Rail Safety Week is designed to engage the community in safe rail practices and this year its key message is that rail safety is everyone's responsibility.
Rail Commissioner Julienne TePohe said this was a very important week, as it brought an issue that could affect both rail workers and the general public into focus.
"Trains and trams are very big and powerful machines, and making wrong choices around them can come at an incredibly tragic cost," Ms TePohe said.
"But taking simple steps keeps everyone safe.
"Just by doing the little things, such as staying behind the white lines on platforms, never entering the track area and stopping to look and listen for trains coming from both directions at pedestrian crossings, can ensure you are protected.
"Multiple trains can also come from either direction, so it's important to be aware of that.
"It's not a good idea to have headphones in around railway tracks and you need to remember to look up from your electronic devices."
Vehicle drivers have a key role in keeping everyone safe around rail tracks, as well.
"It's important to take every crossing seriously and look, listen and think before entering the rail corridor. Ask yourself if it's safe to proceed," Ms TePohe said.
"Drivers should never queue across tracks and need to always be aware of and obey any signs or signals."
The Rail Safety Week message is being shared across Australia and New Zealand from August 13-19 in a bid to help reduce the number of incidents on rail networks.
"When people are careless around trains and trams bad things can happen and that can have lasting impacts on the person involved, their family, friends, and rail workers," Ms TePohe said.
"People forget that when someone makes a mistake, rail staff are the first people to deal with it and that can stay with them for the rest of their life.
"We believe strongly that the message of Rail Safety Week needs to be driven home. Rail safety really is everyone's responsibility."