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Dangerous rail crossing gets safety upgrade

By: Staff Writer

13/05/2009 7:25 AM | Comments: 4

WINNIPEG – A rail crossing near the University of Manitoba is slated for a $250,000 upgrade, just months after three people were seriously injured when a train hit a car.

The rail crossing on Bison Drive near Pembina Highway is one of nine across the province that will receive federal funds to improve rail crossing safety. The government announced this week it will spend $7.1 million across the country as part of the Grade Crossing Improvement program, and another $28 million over the next five years as part of its Economic Action Plan.

The south Winnipeg crossing will receive the biggest chunk of federal cash in Manitoba, with gates and a constant warning time device to be installed.

Last fall, a 21-year-old woman was hit by a train at the crossing and dragged 300 metres. The train hit the woman’s car, sending it crashing into an adjacent vehicle with a woman and child inside. The 64-car locomotive was flashing its lights and honking its horn at the time of the crash, according to witnesses.

The 22-year-old woman and child were rushed to hospital in stable condition.

city.desk@freepress.mb.ca

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4 Comments

Posted by: LG

May 14, 2009 at 12:22 PM

They wouldn't be removing the rail line. They'd be running the rapid transit corridor next to it. Although used only twice a day, this rail line is actually quite important to CN's operations as it connects to the US.

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Posted by:

May 13, 2009 at 3:32 PM

I thought, perhaps mistakenly, that this rail line was one of the ones to be removed when the rapid transit corridor is extended to the U of M??

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Posted by: reality man

May 13, 2009 at 11:44 AM

" The train hit the woman’s car " pay attention while you are driving,maybe you cannot hear the bell or whistle when your windows are up in the winter but,the flashing red lights are a hint for the stupid,stop and wait 3 minutes.Your story makes it sound like the trains fault,it's not.