"I am personally deeply troubled by every single lost soul who has chosen the drastic measure of taking his or her own life on our tracks," said Chuck Harvey, Deputy CEO, operations, engineering and construction, Caltrain. "We're using every method from means restriction to more creative coalition led methods to address this problem."
That is a sentiment shared throughout the Caltrain organization and that is the reason that Caltrain focuses so much energy on outreach, education, engineering and enforcement activities meant to reduce the number of deaths on the rail corridor.
Caltrain, which operates the commuter rail service between San Francisco and San Jose, averages 13 deaths each year on its tracks. Ninety percent of those senseless deaths are ruled suicides following an investigation. Sadly, Caltrain’s experience is not unique among rail operators. Across the country more than 1,000 people die each year in rail-related tragedies.
Caltrain follows the “Three E’s” – education, enforcement and engineering – in an effort to improve safety and reduce incidents on the tracks. Thanks to that program the agency is making significant progress by identifying and removing despondent individuals before tragedy can occur and increasing prevention and awareness activities for those who come in contact with the tracks.
Education
The agency is involved in a number of outreach programs that focus on rail safety education and suicide awareness and prevention. They include, Operation Lifesaver, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and a number of local mental health and suicide prevention organizations.
Caltrain emphasizes suicide prevention and awareness activities in addition to rail safety outreach because its employees are particularly impacted by the aftermath of individuals who die by suicide on the railroad right of way. These tragic events affect not only the friends and family of the deceased but have a much broader impact, including employees, passengers on the trains and the local community.
Enforcement
Caltrain’s Transit Police, provided by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Department are responsible for the safe citation and removal of hundreds, if not thousands, of people from the corridor over the past decade. In 2014 alone, Transit Police removed 40 individuals who expressed a desire to cause themselves harm on the tracks. Between 2010 and 2013, more than 90 people were removed from Caltrain tracks and provided with proper treatment.
The Transit Police have such success because they are each required to be trained in Crisis Intervention Techniques to approach potentially despondent trespassers before joining the unit.
Engineering
Caltrain has spent more than $5 million dollars installing more than 65,000 feet of fencing along the corridor in recent years.
Local improvement projects that include the construction of tunnels, grade separations, improved crossing gates and safety mechanisms, center track fencing and signalized pedestrian crossings. All of these improvements have helped to significantly reduce the number of accidental deaths along the rail corridor.
As a rail organization, Caltrain’s mission is to move people in a safe, efficient and effective way. But as a member of the community to which we provide service, it is also our responsibility to facilitate conversation about the primary causes of death along the rail corridor: suicide and accidents due to trespassing violations.
To truly address the issue of suicide prevention, Caltrain has committed to be part of a community wide effort to focus on early interventions and mental health awareness and support. The primary causes of suicide can be attributed to mental illness or drug and alcohol abuse.
As a rail organization, we cannot solve the problem of mental illness and suicide in our community but we hope to part of the solution through our many pronged approach to reducing death on our rail corridor.
Jayme Ackemann is the communications manager for Caltrain.
