City emergency responders and officials from Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway met Thursday to talk about rail safety in London.
And while they say they’re better prepared to respond to a rail disaster, a city report expected next week will take a close look at the safety of local rail crossings and how they can be improved.
It will also consider the factors surrounding recent deaths in London involving individuals attempting to outrun trains.
London Police Chief Brad Duncan says the city’s rail infrastructure is sound; rather, it’s human error that almost always causes tragedies.
“I don’t think it's a matter of whether a crossing is weak or not, it really is about education because crossings are crossings. There's barriers, there's lights, there's sounds and in almost every incidence that we come across, it's either someone has decided to go against the crossing and cross it, or has not seen it. So I think we're very well equipped here in London.”
The two-hour forum with the rail officials focused on learning everyone’s role in response to emergencies.
“What was really reinforced today is how well structured the rail systems are. That if something happens, they're able to respond,” says London Fire Chief John Kobarda.
With 100 trains passing through London each day, it’s important to make safety a priority, those at the forum believe.
“Are we prepared in the event of an emergency? I believe that we are,” says London Mayor Joe Fontana.
“But more importantly, how can we work more cooperatively together as partners in terms of prevention in being a lot more proactive to make sure that a tragedy such as Lac Megantic can't happen?”
