Volunteers sought for rail safety

    With the arrival soon of a new rail line in Aroostook County, a railroad safety organization is looking for volunteers to educate residents of the inherent dangers along railroad right of way and at rail crossings.
    “The Northern Maine Railway may operate at different times on different days with more trains this summer,” says Fred Hirsch, state coordinator of Maine Operation Lifesaver, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to reducing needless deaths and injuries at crossings and along railroad tracks. “This makes it even more important to warn the public about using tracks as a shortcut or a trail, or even placing objects on the tracks. It’s dangerous and illegal. Trying to beat the train at a crossing has deadly consequences, too.”
    The new rail operators will be taking over 230 miles of mainline track and branches currently operated by the Montreal, Maine, and Atlantic Railway. The trackage serves all major Aroostook County communities.
    In addition to trains, heavy equipment will be working throughout the county as tracks are upgraded with new crossties, rock ballast, and rail. Tampering with those machines, says Hirsch, can be just as dangerous.
    A volunteer for Maine Operation Lifesaver requires only an interest in making communities safer. “While some volunteers have ties to Maine railroads, we also have others who are railfans, in law enforcement, and education,” adds Hirsch. New volunteers spend a day in a training session and after their first presentation, become certified.
    Public speaking is a plus, notes Hirsch, but volunteers can also become associates who staff rail safety displays at schools and community events.
    For more information about Operation Lifesaver, visit www.maineol.org or the organization’s national website at www.oli.org. To contact Maine Operation Lifesaver, call 945-6878 or at maineol@roadrunner.com.