The Illinois Commerce Commission is promoting Illinois Rail Safety Week, the state regulator has announced.

The campaign directs attention to safety on and around the state's rail network, including highway-rail grade crossings and trespassing on railroad property — the two leading categories of rail-related incidents in the United States.

Illinois ranks among the most rail-intensive states in the country, with a dense network of freight lines converging on Chicago, the largest US rail hub. That traffic volume places a correspondingly high number of highway-rail grade crossings within the state, making crossing safety and public awareness a recurring priority for the Commerce Commission.

Rail Safety Week is an annual industry-wide effort backed by freight and passenger operators, regulators, and safety organisations. Typical activities include enforcement operations at crossings, public education events, and outreach campaigns encouraging the public to use only designated crossings and to report unsafe behaviour near tracks.

The Commerce Commission oversees rail safety matters in Illinois and works alongside federal regulators and rail operators on crossing protection, infrastructure programmes, and public awareness initiatives.

Further details of the specific events and activities planned for Illinois Rail Safety Week were not immediately available; the campaign typically runs in coordination with the national Rail Safety Week observance held each September.