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Safety Train ride shows danger to pedestrians
Author: Del Monte
Date: 07-01-2010 - 13:18
From SFGATE ARTICLE WITH PHOTOS
Kevin Gniadek has seen it all in 10 years as an Amtrak engineer - people walking dogs, children taking shortcuts to school and fishermen with poles in hand, all seemingly ignorant of the dangers of being near the railroad tracks.
In the aftermath of a spate of rail deaths in western Contra Costa County, Gniadek invited reporters to ride with him Wednesday on a special "safety train" to see what engineers see from their cabs.
"I wish the public would be more aware. To me, it comes down to common sense," said Gniadek, 35, of Elk Grove (Sacramento County). "There're trains out there that run and they're dangerous - they're not to be played with."
Shortly after Gniadek pulled out from the Richmond Amtrak Station, a man was spotted walking just to the right of the tracks, never flinching as the engineer honked his horn several times.
Several miles north, a man with an orange tank top and beard picking up cans turned his head, almost nonchalantly, as Gniadek again sounded his horn. He was just feet from the tracks when the train sped past.
"He's not super close, but close enough that I have to notify him, like, 'Hey, I'm coming, so don't walk in the middle of the tracks,' " Gniadek said.
"Rail cars and trains don't have emotions," the engineer said. "It'll take your life in a second. It's hard to gauge how fast a train is going when you're on the ground. You don't realize that it's going 79 mph."
Union Pacific and Amtrak police were in patrol vehicles during Wednesday's demonstration, ready to issue citations as part of an enforcement and education campaign.
California leads the nation in pedestrian-train fatalities. In 2008, the state had 60 such deaths and 48 injuries. The statistics cover incidents that are considered accidents and do not include suicides, including those related to Caltrain along the Peninsula.
The deaths in western Contra Costa started Feb. 26, when 17-year-old Marlene Aguirre of San Pablo was hit by an Amtrak train while horsing around with friends at a teen hangout spot in Pinole enclosed by fences.
On April 28, Ramon Prado-Santamaria, 18, of Richmond and Hatziri Nieva, 17, of Hercules died when an Amtrak train hit them near the Richmond station. Their deaths were determined to be suicides, the coroner's office said.
On May 12, Christopher Gray, 60, of San Pablo and his dog died when they were struck by two Amtrak trains in Pinole.
The deaths can devastate the engineers involved, Gniadek said.
Several years ago, Gniadek's train struck and killed a man who had lain down on the tracks near the San Jose station. "You take that home with you, and it's hard not to replay that in your mind," he said.
Read more: [www.sfgate.com]
Kevin Gniadek has seen it all in 10 years as an Amtrak engineer - people walking dogs, children taking shortcuts to school and fishermen with poles in hand, all seemingly ignorant of the dangers of being near the railroad tracks.
In the aftermath of a spate of rail deaths in western Contra Costa County, Gniadek invited reporters to ride with him Wednesday on a special "safety train" to see what engineers see from their cabs.
"I wish the public would be more aware. To me, it comes down to common sense," said Gniadek, 35, of Elk Grove (Sacramento County). "There're trains out there that run and they're dangerous - they're not to be played with."
Shortly after Gniadek pulled out from the Richmond Amtrak Station, a man was spotted walking just to the right of the tracks, never flinching as the engineer honked his horn several times.
Several miles north, a man with an orange tank top and beard picking up cans turned his head, almost nonchalantly, as Gniadek again sounded his horn. He was just feet from the tracks when the train sped past.
"He's not super close, but close enough that I have to notify him, like, 'Hey, I'm coming, so don't walk in the middle of the tracks,' " Gniadek said.
"Rail cars and trains don't have emotions," the engineer said. "It'll take your life in a second. It's hard to gauge how fast a train is going when you're on the ground. You don't realize that it's going 79 mph."
Union Pacific and Amtrak police were in patrol vehicles during Wednesday's demonstration, ready to issue citations as part of an enforcement and education campaign.
California leads the nation in pedestrian-train fatalities. In 2008, the state had 60 such deaths and 48 injuries. The statistics cover incidents that are considered accidents and do not include suicides, including those related to Caltrain along the Peninsula.
The deaths in western Contra Costa started Feb. 26, when 17-year-old Marlene Aguirre of San Pablo was hit by an Amtrak train while horsing around with friends at a teen hangout spot in Pinole enclosed by fences.
On April 28, Ramon Prado-Santamaria, 18, of Richmond and Hatziri Nieva, 17, of Hercules died when an Amtrak train hit them near the Richmond station. Their deaths were determined to be suicides, the coroner's office said.
On May 12, Christopher Gray, 60, of San Pablo and his dog died when they were struck by two Amtrak trains in Pinole.
The deaths can devastate the engineers involved, Gniadek said.
Several years ago, Gniadek's train struck and killed a man who had lain down on the tracks near the San Jose station. "You take that home with you, and it's hard not to replay that in your mind," he said.
Read more: [www.sfgate.com]
| Subject | Written By | Date/Time (PST) |
|---|---|---|
 Safety Train ride shows danger to pedestrians |
Del Monte | 07-01-2010 - 13:18 |
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Re: Safety Train ride shows danger to pedestrians
|
smitty195 | 07-02-2010 - 06:00 |
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Question for our operating readers
|
d | 07-02-2010 - 22:15 |
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Re: Question for our operating readers
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OPTTMS | 07-02-2010 - 22:35 |
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Re: Question for our operating readers
|
OPRRMS | 07-02-2010 - 22:37 |