Hay River (Sep 13/04) - There have been a "brutally high" number of collisions at Hay River railway crossings over the last three years.

That's the opinion of Tim Husel, the general manager of Mackenzie Northern Railway, which operates trains into the town.

There are 12 public and six private railway crossings in Hay River. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

Since October 2001, there have been four collisions.

Husel says that gives the NWT, with only 76 miles of track ending at Hay River, the worst record of collisions with trains anywhere in Canada.

However, he says the incidents are confined to one area. "It's all in Hay River."

There are 12 public and six private railway crossings in the town. They are marked by signs but no automatic lights or barricades.

Three trains arrive in and leave Hay River every week. Plus, there are switching operations twice a day seven days a week, which could mean the trains move over the crossings.

Recent incident

The most recent accident occurred Sept. 4 when a small car was hit while crossing the tracks at Balsam Drive. None of the four people in the car, including a toddler, were seriously injured.

The engineer saw the vehicle and engaged the train's emergency brakes but hit the car behind the rear right door.

A police investigation is continuing and charges are being considered against the car's driver for driving without due care and attention.

The incident joins a list of accidents over the last several years involving an ATV, an SUV and a taxi, which plowed into the side of a train stopped across the Mackenzie Highway. The most serious injury was a broken pelvis suffered by the ATV rider, when he jumped from the machine just before the train hit.

As a train approaches a crossing, it sounds its whistles and bells and engages its lights.

"I don't think people know how deadly a train can be," says Husel.

"I would have to say it's a lack of attentiveness to the train," he noted, adding the answer to the problem lies with driver education.

Inattentive drivers

Cpl. Jim Forsey of the Hay River RCMP says the accidents have clearly been the result of driver inattention.

Forsey said the RCMP would like to meet with the railway company to discuss the issue.

"Obviously, there's something wrong to have these things happening," he says.

Forsey says he has served in areas with 10 times the population of Hay River and more train traffic, yet fewer accidents.

The corporal believes it may largely be a matter of driver apathy, caused by the relatively small amount of train traffic.

According to information from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, there were 247 crossing accidents across Canada in 2003. Seventy-one of those accidents were at crossings with no lights or barricades.

Failure of motorists to stop was the cause in 73 per cent of cases, followed by vehicles stopped, stalled or stuck on the track in nine per cent of cases.

Serious injuries or death result from about 25 per cent of crossing accidents across Canada.

Husel says he has discussed the crossing situation with the Town of Hay River as recently as Aug. 12.

The town is looking into Transport Canada requirements to fund bells, lights and barricades at crossings. Husel says the formula includes the amount of train traffic and the number of vehicles crossing the tracks.

Husel is also concerned about the implications for crossing safety with an anticipated increase in rail traffic because of the proposed Mackenzie Valley gas pipeline.

Mayor Diana Ehman believes part of the problem is "habitual" driving -- motorists are so used to driving over the crossings without seeing trains that they become complacent.

Motorists must be more careful, she stressed. "People have to be really watchful and drive carefully all the time."

The town has received an information package on Transport Canada requirements for funding automated crossings, which will be researched by its traffic committee.

One of Ehman's personal suggestions is that stops signs could be erected on each side of railway crossings. "Hopefully, then we won't have any cars sitting on the tracks."

Lights would be asset

Janet Fahl lives in the 553 section of town and has driven over the tracks every day for years.

Fahl says 10 to 15 days or more can pass without seeing a train and people get used to crossing the tracks.

"Probably lights of some kind would be an asset," she says. "They won't do any harm."

Gary Stoby, who also lives in the 553 area, says he is always careful crossing the tracks, looks both ways and has never had a problem.

Stoby feels the existing railway crossing signs are enough of a warning to motorists. "People just have to pay attention to what's there."