Dear Editor,
I am writing to correct an item from an article about rail
related deaths in southern Santa Clara County. The article by
Marilyn Dubil says,
”
14 deaths this year on Caltrain rail system is more than their
average yearly total of 10 per year.
”
Dear Editor,
I am writing to correct an item from an article about rail related deaths in southern Santa Clara County. The article by Marilyn Dubil says, “14 deaths this year on Caltrain rail system is more than their average yearly total of 10 per year.”
I have said repeatedly to any reporter who has asked that there is no “average” number of deaths per year. There is no way to predict people’s behavior and the numbers fluctuate greatly. There have been only 10 deaths on the “Caltrain rail system” this year – tracks between San Francisco and San Jose, which are owned by Caltrain. There have been 11 deaths involving Caltrain and trespassers on the tracks (whether suicide or accident), but one of them was south of our tracks on property owned by Union Pacific. All tracks south of Tamien Station in San Jose are not Caltrain tracks; they belong to UP, with whom we contract with for use of the tracks to Gilroy.
We would be very appreciative if future references to fatalities on the rail make it very clear whether they involve Caltrain or other carriers (ACE, Amtrak, Capital Corridor, UP).
Jonah Weinberg, Public Information Officer, San Mateo County Transit District
