All aboard!

Published 12:32 pm Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Climb aboard a Union Pacific passenger train for a program held in conjunction with the Operation Lifesaver Railroad Grade Crossing Safety Program. The special passenger train will run every hour on the hour on Monday June 21 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The hour-long round-trip ride will depart Pendleton Depot and travel to Minthorn.

Although there’s no charge for the ride and program, tickets must be obtained in advance. Tickets, which are on a first-come, first-served basis, will be issued Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce, located at 501 S. Main St., Pendleton. Only 600 tickets will be available and children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

The Operation Lifesaver train is being conducted to increase public awareness of the potential dangers that exist at highway/rail-grade crossings. The train will carry cameras on the locomotive and monitors in the coaches to allow passengers to see through the eyes of the locomotive engineer and conductor as the engine travels down the track and over crossings.

In addition, speakers on the train will discuss what signs and signals mean, the laws governing grade crossings and dangers of trespassing on railroad tracks.

Operation Lifesaver is a nationwide railroad grade crossing program designed to save lives at highway/rail-grade crossings. The program creates an awareness in the community of the hazards which prevail at railroad crossings. It also educates the public on the how, why when and where crossing incidents occur and about what the public can do to prevent them.

For more information, contact Brad Jenkins at 541-910-6788.