(The following article by Kimra McPherson was posted on the San Jose Mercury News website on May 2.)
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Following seven deaths so far this year on Caltrain tracks, officials have launched a new effort to make people aware of how to stay safe around the rail line.
Called “Don’t Shortcut Life,” the campaign focuses on educating the community about rail safety, putting up new fencing in some locations and enforcing regulations against trespassing on the tracks.
Freight trains, rail equipment and 96 commuter trains reaching speeds of up to 79 mph run along the Caltrain tracks each day. In San Jose, Amtrak and ACE Rail also run trains on the Caltrain tracks, meaning a train moves through the downtown Diridon station every two minutes during peak hours, according to Caltrain.
Caltrain officials intend to offer a program about safety around tracks and trains to all schools within a half-mile of the rail corridor, according to a Caltrain news release. They also plan to talk with youth and teens to figure out the best way to spread safety information. A 13-year-old Burlingame Intermediate School student and a 19-year-old Hayward teen both were killed by trains in April.
Officials also have contacted local cities to get input on locations where trespassing is frequent in order to put up new heavy-duty mesh fencing. Though pedestrians frequently tear down or cut through fences, these would be made of a material that is difficult to cut, tear down or climb, Caltrain said in a news release.
Caltrain is already working with police departments along the train corridor to target times and locations where trespassing is common in order to enforce trespassing fines, which can be $300 or more for crossing onto railroad property at anywhere except a station or marked crossing.
Caltrain officials are also looking for funding to increase the police presence in some key areas, the release said.