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The federal government is investing more than $45 million in improving railway safety across Canada, transportation minister Anita Anand announced in London on Friday.
The money, which will bankroll 231 projects nationwide, aims to improve safety around train tracks and reduce injuries and deaths related to rail transportation. That includes safety upgrades to the level rail crossing on Oxford Street, east of Clarke Road, which is in “desperate need of attention,” Anand said.
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“It’s a priority for us to get this money out the door as soon as possible,” Anand said in her first public announcement since being sworn into the role last month.
$44 million of the money will go to infrastructure upgrades and education efforts about railway safety. Another $1.2 million will be spent helping Indigenous communities develop awareness campaigns about rail safety, data collection and education.
London’s deputy mayor, Shawn Lewis, attended Friday’s announcement near the Oxford Street East level rail crossing. He said the investment gives London the “opportunity to complete some missing gaps” in its infrastructure. Lewis said four additional projects at railway crossings will kick off this month.
“I know Londoners want the construction projects to get wrapped up. The bad news is that in the next three or four weeks, a few more are coming. They’re short duration, but they are led and paid for by CN Rail,” he said.
Ward 3 Coun. Peter Cuddy said the level rail crossing on Oxford Street East has been a source of safety issues for drivers and pedestrians. Growth in the area makes safety all the more important, he said.
“We’re growing so quickly here (in Ward 3) not only just residential, but industrial and commercial,” he said. “But it also brings its risks. And some of those risks have to be tempered by improved safety.”
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