Is the station being used today?

Really sad about this, again. RIP.

This sad incident occurred at a station area behind Trader Joe’s, and nowhere near an at-grade street crossing. Underscoring the point that grade separations at Palo Alto’s 4 remaining street crossings costing hundreds of millions of dollars each can only stop extremely rare truly accidental Caltrain deaths — not suicides.

This point is not necessarily meant to argue against grade separations, but only to urge clarity around the mistaken belief or rationale that these huge and costly projects will stop suicides from shifting to nearby stations or any of the other far more common and less publicly noticed methods.

@Reality
The vast majority of our track fatalities have occurred adjacent to our at grade crossings with access having occurred at the crossings.
Regardless of your perspective on the need for grade separations, please do not spread erroneous claims about our serious track swcurity challenges.

@ Reality check

Suggestion: Let's look at all the methods of grade separation that have been proposed. Then choose the best one without consideration of its presumed effectiveness at preventing suicides. Since all choices except "do nothing" involve at-grade separation, that wouldn't be a driver of the decision. Gathering information on the frequency and manner of local suicides from this no-cost "natural experiment" might help other communities deal with the question of whether deterrence of spur-of-the-moment suicides at the tracks affects the overall number of suicides locally. That could be quite helpful.

@Resident: nothing you or I have written here so far is erroneous. With only 4 of Caltrain’s approximately 40 remaining at-grade crossings (~70 if you include the limited SJ-Gilroy service), apart from a historically and ongoing disproportionate share of suicide-by-train behavior, I am unaware of anything physically special or unique to what you refer to as Palo Alto’s “serious track security challenges.”

Yes, most incidents occur at or near crossings. But, as with the world’s “closed” systems (like BART) with no publicly accessible grade crossings at all, intentional deaths continue at stations unless they install platform screen doors (as with SFO’s AirTrain or Honolulu’s newly-opened all-viaduct driverless “Skyline” system).

While I’m well familiar with all things Caltrain, including adverse incidents all along the line, going well back into the days of its earlier predecessor owner/operator (the now-defunct and once mighty Southern Pacific RR), if there is something you believe I’ve ever overlooked or misrepresented, please be specific so I can either clarify it for you … or thank you for the correction ;-)

Can you help?
I've been phoning the San Mateo County Sherriff's Office and also the county transit office for more details (e.g.,
age, school, etc.) on this victim, and whether it has been determined to be a suicide, but the transit office refuses to give out info and I couldn't get through to the Sherriff's office.
If you happen to have any phone numbers or destinations that I could call that would bring me closer to getting this info, please write me back and let met know.
My deepest condolences to a family I am sure is in agony now.
Sincerely,
Marc Vincenti
Gunn High English Dept
1995-2005
Chairman, Save the 2,000

The location of this incident, the Stanford station, IS a grade-separated crossing. Embarcadero passes under the ROW near Town & Country Village.

So much for the notion that grade separation thwarts suicides. What business could anyone have on the tracks at this location other than to encounter a train?

Southern Pacific is not exactly defunct. Union Pacific took over the freight business with trackage rights on the peninsula.

@Leslie: yes, the normally gated & fenced, seldom-used, bare-bones Stanford platforms-only “station” at Embarcadero between the Churchill crossing (1/3-mile south) and the University Avenue main Palo Alto Caltrain station (1/2-mile north) is only occasionally opened for the convenience of fans attending selected games (typically football) in nearby Stanford Stadium. And so anyone there yesterday was trespassing far from any legal public access point.

And while UP continues to exercise its freight train access rights on the Caltrain line, SP has been defunct for well over two decades … as in: no longer in existence.

@Leslie York

"apart from a historically and ongoing disproportionate share of suicide-by-train behavior, I am unaware of anything physically special or unique to what you refer to as Palo Alto’s “serious track security challenges."

Whew! Thank you for the caveat about that "disproportionate share of suicide-by-train behavior." It reassures me that we really are talking about the same city. That disproportionate share bothers me. Could it be that there's something about the local context that is not physically special or unique but significant in generating these recurring tragic events? Opinions vary. Whether there is or isn't, my sense is that most people who live, work or pass through Palo Alto would not agree that we should pass on this chance to improve the transportation flow in our city.

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Grade separation folks. Cities and towns have grade separation all across America. Why can't the very technologically progressive Palo Alto have grade separation.

Depression will find it's victim in all sorts of people in all walks of life, in all stages of life, and all ages of life. It's a disease. Oftentimes it can be hereditary. It sometimes need medication. It's can be a biochemical imbalance in the brain. Not everyone who needs medical treatment for their depression and medication seek out health care professionals.

Suicidal ideation will not be eliminated with "mental health and wellness" programs or support. In the long run, having open train tracks throughout Palo Alto, is just begging and tempting depressed people who need help. It's like leaving a loaded gun lying in front of a depressed person, on the coffee table or dining room table or kitchen counter in front of them.

This is not a marshmallow test at Stanford for toddlers. This is pure and simple temptation. It's like leaving matches and gasoline and wood in front of a pyromaniac.

To a depressed person, a clear way of taking one's life, presented daily as they walk/bike or drive past will prompt them.

Fix the problem. Grade separation.

Even if there is grade separation, people intent on committing suicide can try to jump into the train tracks right before the train arrivs.
Perhaps it's time to consider safety barriers (platform screen doors) found in places like Japan or EU or UK.
Time for change
Web Link

@Palo Alto Res
Thank you for the link. I agree with your both *grade separation* and *platform screen doors* position on what would provide maximum security against death by train in Palo Alto. I think we'll get the grade separation for a lot of reasons, but platform screen doors will have to wait until data shows whether grade separation by itself has had a significant impact on the number of suicides or if it supports the position that grade separation just displaces the location, not the frequency of these tragic events. I hope the response would be an appreciation of the benefits that did come with grade separation and a powerful turn toward installing platform screen doors to directly address safety on the rails. This is Palo Alto, after all.

How sad. Rest in peace.

Another pedestrian fatality via Caltrain today, this time in Santa Clara. This message will self destruct as soon as the moderator sees this.

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