Third-party Projects

The Third-party Projects group of the Caltrain Engineering and Construction Department coordinates construction and encroachment activities with federal, state, local public works agencies, regulators, contractors, and other outside parties (commonly referred to as Third Parties). The objective of the Third-party Projects group is to work closely with these outside parties to ensure that all access to the rail line is covered by appropriate agreements, constructed in compliance with Caltrain-approved plans and protected in the safest manner possible during construction.

Working on or near an active rail corridor poses significant challenges for safety and other logistics. And the Caltrain corridor is one of the busiest corridors in the western United States, with more than 100 trains on weekdays (many of them express trains). Caltrain has an excellent safety record for construction activities that have occurred along the right of way attributable to its stringent rules and training requirements.

An overview of the Caltrain safety requirements can be found in its Operating System Interface document (PDF, 63KB). Additional information on safety requirements can be found in the Frequently Asked Questions section below.

All Third-party Project workers on Caltrain property are required to complete the rail agency's basic Roadway Worker Protection training, which is administered through Caltrain's rail contractor, Transit America Services, Inc.

Caltrain requires all Third Parties working on its property to pay Caltrain’s estimated expenses prior to performing any work. Caltrain only charges for actual expenses; any funds from the estimated advance payment not used during the project will be refunded. The estimates generated by Caltrain’s Third Party Manager must be conservative and cover one or two extra days work in order to avoid shutting down a project prior to completion (due to unexpected delays or the work taking longer than anticipated).

Caltrain's rail contract operator provides the majority of the support for On-track Safety. The estimated staff costs and information on the cancellation policy will be discussed with third-party contractors.

The following links provide greater detail on:

    * Accessing our property, and/or placing temporary installations on our property.

    * Detail on installing semi-permanent installations.

    * Information regarding safety and insurance requirements, along with other important information (Frequently Asked Questions)

Third-party Staff

Ross Weir, Manager, Engineering
weirr@samtrans.com
650.508.6410