(The following story by Aaron Burgin appeared on The Press-Enterprise website on February 14, 2010.)
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — The victims of fatal train-pedestrian collisions are not just those killed in the incident.
In a split second, railroad engineers and conductors go from doing their job to carrying guilt that they were in some way responsible for a death, a feeling that stays with some their entire career, railroad officials said.
A recent Inland train-related death occurred Jan. 29 when San Bernardino resident Abdulkafur A. Sigal, 24, stepped in front of a freight train in downtown Riverside near Cridge Street in what police called an apparent suicide.
Officials with several commuter, passenger and freight rail companies that operate in the Inland area said they take several measures to help employees cope. These include counseling, time off and reassurance from peers that, in most cases, circumstances were beyond their control.
Company officials said they continue to stress to the public the importance of railway safety in an effort to stop the collisions before they occur.
“These accidents always affect these employees in ways that the public may not be aware of,” said Vernay Graham, an Amtrak spokeswoman. “They are the first to assess the situation, and these images don’t go away.”
SECOND IN NATION
In California, warm weather that promotes more outdoor walking and thousands of miles of rail lines that crisscross streets and pedestrian pathways create a recipe for disastrous collisions.
The state ranked second in the nation in rail fatalities in 2009, according to Federal Railroad Administration statistics. That year, 82 of the country’s 649 fatalities, or 12.6 percent, occurred in California.
Because of the high number of fatalities, some engineers and conductors may be involved in several fatal accidents during their career, officials said.
“Obviously, with that type of activity, we want to make sure that those employees have the resources to cope with an incident,” said Lena Kent, a BNSF spokeswoman.
Amtrak, BNSF, Metrolink and Union Pacific offer help through the Employee Assistance Program, which provides immediate counseling and outsource services for additional counseling needs, as well as trauma relief time for employees who request it.
Graham said BNSF monitors employees for 72 hours after a collision and offers immediate relief from duty if an employee asks.
Perhaps more important than the professional counseling is the support network of other engineers, conductors and rail employees, who help an employee recover through camaraderie, officials said.
Most employees reassure their colleagues that the outcome was likely out of their control, as is the case with most trespassing incidents.
“The way they lean on one another is a story that often goes untold,” Graham said.
Many employees involved in fatal train collisions volunteer their time to warn the public about the dangers of trespassing on rail lines and the importance of rail safety.
Operation Lifesaver is a national organization dedicated to promoting rail safety by presenting information to schools, senior groups, transit and bus authorities and professional driving companies.
“Usually, by the time an engineer notices a person on the tracks, it is too late to do anything,” said Peter Aadland, state coordinator of California’s branch of Operation Lifesaver. “That is why it is so important to get this message out to everyone, so accidents can be avoided.”