Union Pacific launches local safety grant program

Union Pacific Railroad yesterday announced a new grant program for community railroad safety initiatives.

The Class I will provide grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 to support such initiatives as school safety days, community safety programs, grade crossing education efforts, law enforcement activities and rail safety advocacy.

An online grant application enables organizations to explain how they plan to use grant proceeds, their safety initiative's goals, who the initiative will target and how success will be measured.

The grant program is part of the UP CARES public safety initiative, which aims to promote pedestrian and motorist safety through various outreach channels, including crossing education and enforcement, safety trains and communication blitzes.

"The UP CARES grants extend our safety commitment further into communities by providing additional resources to champion railroad safety," said Lance Fritz, UP's executive vice president of operations, in a press release.