SB CS hits pedestrian on June 17 near Fairfield CA

[chakk]

Bay Area news media are reporting that the coast Starlight struck a man walking on the tracks Tues morning. 325 passengers were delayed 3 hrs while the coroner investigated. Eastbound CZ and other Capitol Corridor trains were also delayed.

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[Cole737]

That seems to happen all to often Any more info?

 

[Ziv]

Frequently walking along the rail road tracks will take a mile or more off going from one side of town to the other. Even if the right of way is completely fenced, which it generally is not, people will find a way to get in and take the short cut. And since the rail roads don't want the liability or costs inherent in placing a sidewalk to one side of the tracks, the easiest way to get from point A to point B is to walk on the railroad ties. It is a great way to cover a lot of territory, and if you don't have earphones on, you will hear the trains coming miles away.

If you are wearing earphones/buds, you may not hear the train until it is too late.

Sometimes being careless, drunk or stupid is fatal. I was going to add unlucky to that list, but I think careless covers it. It is tragic, but it is not the trains fault, and it definitely isn't the operators fault.

That seems to happen all to often Any more info?

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Frequently walking along the rail road tracks will take a mile or more off going from one side of town to the other. Even if the right of way is completely fenced, which it generally is not, people will find a way to get in and take the short cut. And since the rail roads don't want the liability or costs inherent in placing a sidewalk to one side of the tracks, the easiest way to get from point A to point B is to walk on the railroad ties. It is a great way to cover a lot of territory, and if you don't have earphones on, you will hear the trains coming miles away. If you are wearing earphones/buds, you may not hear the train until it is too late. Sometimes being careless, drunk or stupid is fatal. I was going to add unlucky to that list, but I think careless covers it. It is tragic, but it is not the trains fault, and it definitely isn't the operators fault.

That seems to happen all to often Any more info?

Looks like you forgot suicide. My guess is that suicide by train is potentially a lot more common that we think. It's rare that I see articles which follow-up on train deaths but when they do it seems as though suicide is considered a likely factor in many of them.

 

[andersone]

Interesting point,,,, If i have to walk the four miles to town it is a half miles shorter taking the rail bed,,,, but the old DT&I tracks - now Indiana Southern, have two trains a month on them...

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Like Pegano in Chicago who left the instructions about what to do with bodies on the tracks in his pocket?

 

[Jld263]

Incident actually derailed (and bummed out) honeymoon plans by six hours waiting to board in Sjc instead of being able to try the wineries in paso robles. Segments to Santa Barbara and san clemente pier and San Diego went off generally without a hitch.

 

[chakk]

That seems to happen all to often Any more info?

Followup story says UP is investigating the death of this 40 yr old Fairfield man. While track speed in this area is 79 mph, the CS was traveling about 40 mph when the trespasser was struck. This is the 4th death on tracks in this area since November 2013.

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