September is Rail Safety Month and transit agencies are working to promote best practices and safety tips for riders and community members to use in and around rail stations and tracks to maintain a safe and welcoming transit environment. Caltrain, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (L.A. Metro) and Metrolink are ramping up efforts to promote their rail safety campaigns this month.
Caltrain
To bring attention to the importance of safety around train tracks and the high rate of intentional deaths on rail systems nation-wide, the Caltrain Board of Directors have passed an initiative to roll out a rail safety initiative during the next couple weeks. The agency will focus on ads, events and media with rail safety tips and suicide prevention resources through its various social media platforms.
Its ongoing program focuses on the “Three E’s” of railroad safety – Education, Engineering and Enforcement. For the past 20 years, Caltrain has planned or participated in an annual rail safety event in conjunction with California Operation Lifesaver.
“Safety is paramount at Caltrain and ensuring our daily train service is safe from San Francisco to Gilroy is our highest priority,” said Caltrain Executive Director Michelle Bouchard. “At Caltrain, safety is a core value that we practice every day and while we use this month to get the word out about how to stay safe around our trains, we stay committed to making this railroad safe year-round.”
The agency is focusing its safety message to include tips and warnings like:
- If riders encounter an emergency on Caltrain or see something suspicious, call the transit police
- A typical Caltrain train can take nearly a mile to stop, even when emergency brakes are applied
- It is never safe to stop closer than 15 feet from the rails and a train is at least three feet wider than tracks on both sides
- Only cross Caltrain tracks at designated crossings when it is safe to do so. While it might not be the quickest route, it is the safest
- Caltrain’s new electric infrastructure carries up to 25,000 volts so riders should never interfere with the overhead wires and avoid any downed wires they see.
Caltrain also will be hosting a rail safety table at the agency’s electric service launch party Sept. 21 at Palo Alto Station and Sept. 22 at San Mateo Station. In addition, on Sept. 24, Caltrain and the Transit Police unit will be doing a Rail Safety Blitz event to educate drivers and pedestrians at specified grade crossings with rail safety educational brochures.
L.A. Metro
L.A. Metro’s Rail Safety Program team will be hosting multiple community events throughout the month of September to educate pedestrians, riders and drivers on train safety. Metro Safety Kid videos will be shared across social media platforms, including YouTube, TV Connect, Spotify, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
Rail safety messages in English and Spanish will be displayed and wrapped on light-rail trains traveling on the A and K Lines through Los Angeles, Calif. L.A. Metro will also hold station events at Union Station and 7th and L.A. Metro and at community events, to remind everyone of these essential safety tips:
- Always stay behind the yellow line
- Look both ways
- Never walk on train tracks
- No bike riding on the platform
- Never go around lowered gates
- Don’t jump from the platform
L.A. Metro’s Rail Safety Programs focus on increasing awareness of rail safety through educational programs, workshops and travel trainings held year-round in the communities along L.A. Metro’s light-rail lines (A, E and K Lines).
Metrolink
Throughout September, Metrolink will be highlighting its year-round efforts to promote rail safety throughout its system by launching a comprehensive public awareness campaign aimed at helping community members recognize and counteract the dangers of active train systems. Some essential safety tips include:
- Stay alert around railroad tracks. Don’t use your phone or wear headphones. Avoid any other distractions that would prevent you from hearing or seeing an approaching train.
- Trains can come from either direction so always look both ways at crossings. Never walk around or behind lowered gates at a crossing and do not cross the tracks until the lights have stopped flashing
- Never take photos or videos on or near railroad tracks. It’s not only dangerous but it’s also illegal to be on the railroad right of way – this includes tracks, bridges, tunnels, signal towers and other facilities
- Always wait behind the line while standing on the platform. Do not cross the line until the train is stopped and the doors open. Use handholds when boarding and detraining
“At Metrolink, we actively choose safety every day,” said Metrolink Interim Chief Safety, Security and Compliance Officer Tim Morehead. “During Rail Safety Month, we want to help community members who interact with our system adopt a similar mindset and develop good habits to keep them safe near railroad tracks. Throughout the month, we’ll be educating passengers, as well as drivers, pedestrians and cyclists about critical safety practices. We want people to stay off phones, listen attentively and adhere to posted signage. By making it easier for others to choose safety, we can prevent tragedies and save lives.”
Metrolink will also be partnering with schools, community groups, law enforcement and other transportation agencies on a variety of initiatives designed to deter unsafe activity and promote good decision-making.
This will include:
- School partnerships: Metrolink is working with middle schools and high schools located within 500 feet of railroad tracks to deliver critical educational experiences for local youth.
- Targeted enforcements: The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), Metrolink Bureau and local law enforcement agencies will conduct weekly enforcement operations to correct unsafe behaviors, such as bypassing activated crossing gates and educate the public on the importance of safe conduct near railroad tracks.
- On Sept. 21 through Sept. 22, Metrolink will join the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society, Amtrak and L.A. Metro at Union Station for a railroad safety event in downtown Los Angeles. The free event will feature the historic Santa Fe 3751 steam locomotive and modern Metrolink equipment, including a rail car with a safety-inspired vinyl wrap, providing a fun and educational opportunity for attendees to learn about the dos and don’ts of rail safety
- Operation Clear Track: On Sept. 24, members of the LASD, Metrolink Bureau and San Bernardino County Sherriff’s Department will participate in the U.S. educational campaign that brings hundreds of first responders together with community members virtually and in-person.
- Red Out for Rail Safety: To raise awareness and promote solidarity, Metrolink encourages staff, member agency partners and customers to wear red on Sept. 27 in support of Red Out for Rail Safety Day and post to social media using the hashtag #RedOutforRailSafety.
