Caltrain board approves corridor wide safety strategy to reduce track trespassing

San Mateo County, California – The Caltrain Board of Directors has officially authorized a new safety plan to cut down on trespassing and dangerous track intrusions along the Peninsula rail route. The Caltrain route Right-of-Way Safety Strategy is a new plan that builds on years of past enhancements to make the whole rail route safer.

Caltrain officials claim that the new plan will help them deal with issues that still affect the system in a way that is more consistent and based on data. These include times when people walk into the rail right-of-way or cars cross the tracks by mistake or on purpose. These things can cause significant injuries, death, emotional trauma for workers and passengers, and big delays in train operations.

Michelle Bouchard, the Executive Director of Caltrain, highlighted that safety remains the agency’s top priority.

“Safety is Caltrain’s core value, and the need to make our right-of-way safer is reflected in everything we do,” said Caltrain Executive Director Michelle Bouchard. “After years of targeted improvements, this strategy establishes a comprehensive approach to reducing risk, strengthening accountability, and delivering the most effective treatments where they are needed most throughout the entire Caltrain corridor to keep the people and communities we serve safe.”

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The framework, called CROWS, uses a number of different methods to try to solve safety problems from different points of view. These include thorough evaluations of hazards and risks, focused enforcement actions, more public education campaigns, improvements to engineering, and changes to internal rules and standards.

Caltrain will update its corridor-wide risk assessments, which look at the dangers of trespassing, suicide, and crossing the tracks. The results will assist figure out whether places would need further work, be closed, or have separation projects. Partnerships amongst law enforcement will also be important, with planned coordinated enforcement actions in places that are known to be high-risk.

Another important part of the plan will be reaching out to the public. The agency wants to start a safety campaign over the whole corridor that will remind people to remain off the railroad tracks and observe the regulations for crossing the tracks. Outreach will focus on schools, businesses, and community groups in areas near stations and crossings.

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The strategy also calls for more progress in engineering and technology. Some of the suggested actions are putting up barriers and fences to keep people from getting onto the tracks, testing anti-trespass panels in areas where there are problems, improving surveillance systems, and controlling plants to make it easier to see near crossings.

Caltrain officials claim that the agency will keep an eye on safety data and send frequent reports to the board while the strategy is improved over time. People are advised to use the right crossings, pay attention to warning signs, and never step foot on railroad land.