When a semi-truck pulling a long grain trailer got stuck on the CP Rail tracks on Queen Street, a freight train heading southeast came around the bend coming into Weyburn city proper and was not able to stop in time before smashing into the trailer and breaking it in half, scattering large piles of grain around the rail crossing and in the ditch.
If this was a one-time incident, it might be chalked up to experience, with thankfulness that the driver was not hurt - but unfortunately, this was not the first time a large truck has been hit by a train at that very railway crossing.
Of all the crossings of the CP rail line in Weyburn, this is apparently the only one that not controlled in any way; the only marking is the "X" railway crossing sign.
The City of Weyburn and CP Rail need to address this, and there are a number of options possible. Arguably the most obvious solution would be to put flashing lights and traffic arms, like are found at the Highway 13, Government Road, Third Street and 16th Street crossings.
Granted, these signal arms and lights can be pricy, and perhaps CP Rail might be reluctant to lay out the required cash to install them, but isn't really in their best interest to have the utmost in safety equipment at a crossing that has had multiple collisions with both large and small vehicles?
Another option would be to restrict traffic on Queen Street to smaller vehicles, since large ones seem to have trouble with the short distance between the crossing and Highway 39, especially in winter when ice is an added hazard.
A third option would be to close off the rail crossing on Queen altogether, forcing traffic to go in from First Avenue only and not have access onto or across Highway 39.
The problem with the second option would be enforcement, whereas the third option kind of forces the issue and automatically enforces it with all vehicle sizes. This might be a pain for oil and agricultural haulers, with new businesses developing the land in that area, but for safety's sake, it's a small price to pay.
Whichever option is chosen, this crossing cannot be ignored as "insignificant" anymore. No one wants to see a fatality occur, but it is inevitable if these accidents continue to take place; in the fight between a train and a vehicle, the vehicle always loses.
