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Those Caltrain accidents seem to happen all the frigging time [1]. I'm not sure much can be done about them, but every time I hear about one my heart sinks a li
by GuiA 13y ago
Those Caltrain accidents seem to happen all the frigging time [1]. I'm not sure much can be done about them, but every time I hear about one my heart sinks a little lower.
Is there any obvious thing that I'm missing that could be done?
[1]: 12 a year on average apparently: http://kalw.org/post/caltrain-engineer-talks-about-coping-track-deaths http://kalw.org/post/caltrain-engineer-talks-about-coping-tr...
- ZanyProgrammer 13y agoMost Caltrain deaths are suicides, and its hard to stop people who stand on a platform, waiting for a Baby Bullet to pass through. That's the reality of having stations skipped.
- pbsurf 13y agoAnd it's not just at stations. Four high school students committed suicide at the same crossing in Palo Alto in 2009, so a security guard was hired to patrol it [1]. There is still a guard there today. [1] http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_13912677 http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_13912677
- stickydink 13y agoI notice in the BART stations, there's sort of a lip on the platform edge that (if you have time) you can tuck yourself into so you avoid being hit. Do the Caltrain stations not have this? Of course, it assumes that the chap who was on the tracks initially, was there by accident.
- kposehn 13y agoCaltrain stations have low platforms instead of the raised ones Bart uses, removing the ability to have a "suicide nook" (railroad slang)
- jakobe 13y agoMost subway stations in Singapore have walls with doors between the train and the platform. The doors open only after the train arrived and stopped. (It's similar to elevator doors.) Makes it impossible to fall or jump on the tracks.
- TrainedMonkey 13y agoSame at SFO.
- ZanyProgrammer 13y agoIts too expensive to do that to all Caltrain stations. The reality is there are better things to spend money on for Caltrain (like electrification).
- Karunamon 13y agoWould it would really be that expensive to install what amounts to a row of automatic glass doors like you have at the supermarket?
- archgoon 13y agoYes. http://www.caltrain.com/stations/systemmap.html http://www.caltrain.com/stations/systemmap.html This isn't a subway, where the entry points are clearly defined. Look at this station, for example http://goo.gl/maps/vmYxx http://goo.gl/maps/vmYxx The tracks keep going, with basically nothing protecting them. Putting up walls around the entire thing would be a significant undertaking.
- kposehn 13y agoSadly yes. The trains that caltrain has are not able to stop within the 12" requirement for automatic platform doors. In addition the platforms are 3-4x longer than in Singapore (I've been there).
- iaskwhy 13y ago
- jeffdavis 13y agoHow about an emergency alarm/buzzer that alerts incoming trains to anything on the tracks -- people or obstructions. Low tech, but would offer a way to help people without risking your own life. You'd need surveillance or something to prevent people from using it as a prank though.
- kbrosnan 13y agoTrains take miles to come to a complete stop. Unless the person is standing in the tracks for minutes these would be ineffective.
- mikeash 13y agoMassive freight trains with hundreds of fully-loaded cars take miles to come to a complete stop. Small passenger trains are a different story.
- ww520 13y agoCaltrain tracks go through high stress areas in the Bay Area where more people are prone to suicide. It's a readily available mean nearby to get it done quickly. I've known a friend of a friend done it after years of depression. A number of students in Palo Alto high school have done it on the track. Palo Alto high school is very competitive and students are under enormous pressure from parents to do well.
- auctiontheory 13y agoPalo Alto High ("Paly") is next to the train tracks, but the suicide cluster was from Gunn High, across town, not from Paly.
- aquadrop 13y agoMost deaths are suicide. So even spending a lot of money and effort won't help, because the root of the problem is psychological, not technical.