Caltrain Wants to Enlist Neighbors as Extra "Eyes and Ears"

Taking a page from the familiar “Neighborhood Watch” program, Caltrain is asking residents near the tracks to become a part of a new safety awareness campaign called “Railroad Watch.”

Brochures are being sent to nearly 10,000 residents who live close to the tracks in Burlingame, Redwood City, Mountain View and Santa Clara asking them to call Caltrain police if they see dangerous or suspicious activity along the tracks.

The brochures include a refrigerator magnet with a telephone number that connects callers direct to dispatchers for transit police – 1.877.SAF.RAIL (1.877.723.7245). The brochures also are being placed on trains, and passengers are encouraged to program the SAF.RAIL number into their cell phones.

Caltrain officials stress that, like “911,” the number should only be used for police emergencies. For general inquiries, people should call Caltrain at 1.800.660.4287 (TDD only 650.508.6448).

The mailers will arrive in mailboxes this week, when Caltrain is participating in a national focus on rail safety awareness through Washington, D.C.-based Operation Lifesaver, Inc.

The brochure makes the point that caring people can make a difference.

The cover photo is of a young boy, wearing headphones and walking balance-beam-style on top of the rail, and the words “Your call can save a life.”

Many times in recent years, rail tragedies have been averted, both by alert law enforcement officers from jurisdictions along the Caltrain line, as well as by concerned passengers.

By providing the magnet with the telephone number, Caltrain officials hope people will be encouraged to call when they see behavior such as people walking or jogging along the tracks or pacing or lingering near the tracks or in stations. Likewise, people should call if they see suspicious activity or packages or anything else that they think may need police attention.

Caltrain will continue to use the mailer as a resource to promote railroad safety along the Peninsula.

5/18/05