The Pacific Surfliner travels along a 351-mile coastal rail route through San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, serving 29 stations. Photo: Amtrak Pacific Surfliner
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The Pacific Surfliner travels along a 351-mile coastal rail route through San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, serving 29 stations. Photo: Amtrak Pacific Surfliner
In recognition of September Rail Safety Month and U.S. Rail Safety Week, the Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner® will highlight the importance of safety around train tracks with public education and outreach events in collaboration with California Operation Lifesaver (CAOL) and two Southern California Major League Baseball teams: the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Angels.
The Pacific Surfliner will host educational events featuring rail safety experts from CAOL on the dates listed below. Attendees will learn valuable tips for staying safe around railroad tracks, including those used by the Pacific Surfliner between San Diego, Orange County, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
Sunday, Sept. 16 at Angel Stadium, prior to the Angels game against the Seattle Mariners
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Monday, Sept. 17 at Petco Park, prior to the Padres game against the San Francisco Giants
September is Rail Safety Month in California and Sept. 23 – 29, 2018 is U.S. Rail Safety Week across the nation. California leads the nation in annual rail fatalities for the most highway-rail grade and trespassing casualties, according to CAOL and the Federal Railroad Administration. Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and CAOL seek to reduce collisions, injuries and fatalities at rail grade crossings and on railroad rights-of-way through education, engineering, and enforcement.
“It’s critical that we work together to educate the public on ways to keep themselves and their loved ones safe around train tracks,” said Bryan MacDonald, chairman of the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency, which oversees the Pacific Surfliner service. “Walking, jogging, and taking pictures on or near railroad tracks are all illegal activities that are extremely dangerous and should always be avoided.”
Andrew Heaney, a starting pitcher for the Angels, recently recorded a rail safety radio spot encouraging fans to follow simple safety rules. “In baseball, you always have to run to first base and stay within the lines,” Heaney says in the radio spot. “It’s the same with trains. Remember to cross train tracks only at designated pedestrian or roadway crossings, and obey all posted warning signs and signals.”
Most accidents and incidents on railroad tracks are preventable by following these safety rules. Pedestrians are also urged to never walk on train tracks, and remember that trains always have the right of way and cannot stop quickly to avoid obstacles.
Amtrak will open grant applications March 23 for community projects near the Frederick Douglass Tunnel alignment in Baltimore as part of a $50 million investment tied to the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program.
The Denmark Station $2.3 million construction investment project includes a new 280-foot concrete boarding platform, built eight inches above the top of rail, for improved accessibility for passengers with disabilities and families with small children and much more.
Caltrain and its partners have implemented safety improvements at specific locations in response to known risk conditions, operational needs, and available funding since the agency’s founding.
On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.
Competitive FTA grants will support accessibility upgrades, family-friendly improvements, and cost-efficient capital projects at some of the nation’s oldest and busiest transit hubs.
The 3.92-mile addition will soon take riders west beyond its current Wilshire and Western station in Koreatown, continuing under Wilshire Boulevard through neighborhoods and communities including Hancock Park, Windsor Square, the Fairfax District, and Carthay Circle into Beverly Hills.
Under the plan, all long-distance routes will transition to a universal single-level fleet, replacing today’s mix of bi-level and single-level equipment.
