Caltrain To Hold Rail Safety Relay

Caltrain will hold a Rail Safety Relay event Wednesday, May 21, to continue emphasizing the importance of safety around trains and tracks.

Caltrain strongly believes it takes the public to help get its message out so it has invited key community partners to serve as “runners” to help pass the message along.

The first leg of the Rail Safety Relay starts in San Jose at 7:50 a.m. where Conductor Bruce Shelton, who represents the impact on train crews when there is an incident, will board Train 225 with the rail crossbucks “torch.” Crossbucks are the sign warning of a rail crossing.

When the train arrives in Mountain View at 8:05 a.m., Shelton will pass the torch to boarding San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Detective Victor Lopez, who represents enforcement of the safety rules.

As the train stops in San Bruno at 8:42 a.m., Lopez will hand off the crossbucks to St. Robert School Principal Yvonne Olcomendy, who will board with the San Francisco Giants mascot Lou Seal. Olcomendy represents education and will carry the torch on its final leg of the relay to the San Francisco Caltrain Station, where a brief ceremony will be held. Caltrain Board Chair Jim Hartnett will award the relay team gold medals for being vital partners in the rail safety effort.

“Train safety is so important to teach to the community and the best way for us to do that is to continue spreading the rail safety message that tracks are for trains and not people,” said Hartnett.

Caltrain staff also will be handing out new rail safety brochures during the relay. A copy is available online at www.caltrain.com/info_rail_safety.html.

As part of its continuing rail safety efforts, Caltrain participates in an annual event such as “Officer on a Train,” a suicide awareness campaign and public service announcements creation to encourage both drivers and pedestrians to “Wait for the Gate.”

For more information about Caltrain, call 1.800.660.4287 (TTY 650.508.6448.), or click HERE to read safety tips.