The Cudworth, based Canadian Safety Train Express (CSTE) will continue to provide railway safety education to the public but are moving those efforts online.
The COVID-19 pandemic has put a pause on in-person presentations but it is important to raise awareness of rail safety according Operations Manager Jamie Hartmann.
“Unfortunately, there are still incidents happening that can be prevented making education on railway safety essential,” Hartmann said.
Prior to the pandemic, the CSTE staff were able to visit classrooms and give presentations or have students visit the train.
“We have a rail simulator in a little trailer that we would bring with us and kids would be able to be inside and see what it was like to drive a train and then put it into emergency brake mode,” Hartmann said.
When students would visit the train they would also have the opportunity to go for a ride.
With the programs going to an online platform, Kindergarten to Grade 12 classes can now book a Zoom or Google Classroom presentation.
“We have tried to make the Zoom presentations as interactive as possible, Hartmann said. “The Google Classroom is more of a video they can watch and is followed by a quiz at the end.”
Bookings have started as the online programs were officially launched on Jan. 25.
“Going online, we can offer presentations in other provinces as well and probably actually have as many Manitoba schools booked in so far as we have Saskatchewan schools,” Hartmann said.
Bookings are scheduled here.
The safety train has been operating between Cudworth and Wakaw since 2017.
The programs by the CTSE aim to educate children from age Kindergarten to Grade 6, pre-teens, Drivers Ed students, and males aged 18 to 35. Data has shown over the last three years that those groups have been heavily involved in trespassing and crossing incidents.
“We want to move the train around the province and be able to go to different jurisdictions,” Hartmann said. “We have gone with our simulator to lots of different schools around the province and into Alberta a little bit.”
A learning centre is in the works in Cudworth as well as other new additions and Hartmann said the staff is excited for the day that people can come check it out again in-person.
–
angie.rolheiser
On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser
