Caltrain Proclaims September Rail Safety Month

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September 4, 2009

The Caltrain Board of Directors has joined the California State Legislature in designating September as “Railroad Safety Month.” The proclamation was presented to California Operation Lifesaver President Cameron Beach at the board meeting today.

In accepting the proclamation Beach pointed out that someone is killed or injured on a railroad in the United States every 120 minutes. “This is a number that we must work together to reduce,” said Beach.

To highlight the importance of Rail Safety Month, Caltrain has posted a special button on its Web site: www.caltrain.com. The button takes visitors to a series of common-sense safety tips.

Caltrain is a long-time member of Operation Lifesaver, an international organization working to increase public awareness about the dangers around the railroads and educate drivers and pedestrians to make safe decisions at crossings and around train tracks.

Since 2006, Caltrain staff members have given more than 200 Operation Lifesaver presentations to more than 13,000 people in San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.

In addition to educating the public about rail safety, Caltrain has taken other steps to improve safety on the right of way.

Two years ago, Caltrain began a multi-year project to install additional fencing on the right of way between San Francisco and San Jose. So far, 35,000 linear feet of new fence has been installed at a cost of $2.2 million.

A $35 million project to improve safety at two Palo Alto stations was completed this year. At the California Avenue station, the narrow center-boarding platform was replaced with outside boarding platforms. A fence between the tracks prevents pedestrians from crossing the tracks. And, a new pedestrian underpass allows people to cross easily and safely between platforms. An at-grade crossing at the northern end of the Palo Alto station was removed.

On Sept. 23, Caltrain will celebrate the completion of a project to improve ten grade crossings in San Mateo. The work is part of a larger $10.8 million project to improve 25 grade crossings in San Mateo County. The improvements include pedestrian gates, fencing, roadway medians and additional signage.

Enforcement is another key component of Caltrain’s ongoing safety program. In 2006, Caltrain’s Transit Police developed a program to target locations on the right of way that have an unusually high number of trespassers. Since the inception of the program, officers have intervened in more than 5,500 trespassing violations, issued more than 1,700 citations and made more than 40 arrests.

Caltrain will continue in its efforts to ensure a safe and reliable rail system using all available resources to inform the public and improve its infrastructure. Members of the public who would like information about rail safety education can call 650.508.7934.