National Rail Safety Awareness Week 2008

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20 July, 2008

National Rail Safety Awareness Week 2008

After the success of the National Rail Safety Awareness Week (Rail Safety Week) in 2006 and
2007, the Australasian Railway Association (ARA), is glad to announce that Rail Safety Week
2008 to be held on 21 ? 27 July 2008. As for previous years, this will be a collaborative effort
with major rail operators and government agencies from all States and Territories in Australia
and New Zealand.

Rail Safety Week was originally launched by the ARA in 2006 to support the government and
industry National Railway Level Crossing Behavioural Strategy, which was endorsed by the
Australian Transport Council of Ministers on 2 June 2006. With strong support and cooperation
from the rail industry and government authorities, Rail Safety Week continues to be successful
in its initial goal of raising media awareness of railway level crossing safety and safety around
railways.

?We continue to work relentlessly towards our goal of zero deaths at level crossings and Rail
Safety Week is one of our key initiatives in promoting safe behaviour around level crossings?
said Mr Bryan Nye, Chief Executive Officer of the ARA.

?Level crossing crashes and trespass are two of the most serious safety concerns faced by the
rail industry in Australia and New Zealand. The rail industry is taking positive and proactive
steps to address these issues via the development of various initiatives focusing on the
Education, Enforcement and Engineering as part of the solution,? continued Mr Nye.

?The numbers are alarming from 1st January to 3rd July 2008 there have been 30 Level Crossing
Collisions resulting in 12 deaths, these figures sadly reinforce the urgency for immediate action
from relevant parties to improve safety at level crossings. Level crossing safety is a major
national issue, which does not respect state borders. Therefore, in order to effectively improve
safety at level crossings, cooperation is needed between all levels of government, the road and
rail industries, enforcement agencies and relevant road safety authorities.? urged Mr Nye.

During Rail Safety Week, creative safety activities will be held in various locations in every State
and Territory across Australia and New Zealand.

The ARA believes that the event will have a significant impact on rail safety across Australia and
New Zealand. It lends itself to future expansion into other areas of rail safety, including
vandalism, platform safety, security and passenger safety.

For more information on Rail Safety Week 2008 please contact the ARA or visit
http://www.ara.net.au/NRSAW08

http://www.ara.net.au/Media%20Releases.htm