VRE Safety: Ride Right in 2024!

Happy New Year, VRE family! Here’s to another year of choosing the easier, less stressful route to get you there. As we embark on another year of commuting, it’s crucial to reiterate how important it is for us at VRE to ensure a safe ride for everyone. While many are seasoned, veteran VRE riders with years of experience on the tracks, the start of a new year and a clean slate presents an opportune moment to refresh ourselves on some safety guidelines.

Here are some basics: things you should never do:

1.     Walk on the train tracks or on ballast.

2.     Go under or around crossing gates in the lowered position.

3.     Leave children unattended.

4.     Block rail car doors.

5.     Stand between railcars or on stairs while the train is moving.

6.     Leave valuables inside your car.

7.     Try to retrieve items you’ve dropped on the tracks yourself.

To counter these, here are some things you should always do:

1.     Cross tracks only at designated pedestrian crossings.

2.     Behind the wheel, only cross at highway at-grade rail crossings.

3.     Stay behind the bumpy yellow tile on the edge of the platforms.

4.     Stay as far back from the edge of the platform as possible when trains are passing through.

5.     Use seat back handles and handrails when walking through trains.

6.     Hold your child’s hand when boarding or exiting train.

7.     Park in designated areas only.

8.     Have your car keys in your hand as you approach your car.

9.     Always lock your car.

When onboard, be aware of these few things to ensure the safety of everyone on board: even if it’s out of lack of Wi-Fi boredom, familiarizing yourself with the various emergency procedures displayed is important. In the event of an emergency, note that each car has three emergency units per car to reach a crew member and emergency tool kits located in the gallery car stair wells. Each train also has at least one automatic external defibrillator in the cab car.

Whether this is your first or hundredth time riding the VRE, we encourage every rider to Be Aware, Be Informed, Be Prepared, Be Safe, and Be Smart! Safety is a community effort that we all need to strive for and maintain in 2024 and beyond.