Caltrain Strikes and Kills Man Near Palo Alto Station

A 24-year-old man was struck and killed by the southbound No. 284 train north of the Palo Alto station around 7:30 p.m. Monday, Caltrain officials reported.

According to Caltrain spokeswoman Christine Dunn, the preliminary investigation indicates that the Sunnyvale man acted intentionally. Trains have resumed operation in both directions.

Year to date, four people have died on Caltrain's right of way, compared with 11 last year. Of those, the coroner ruled nine to be suicides while two have pending investigations.    

In 2010, Caltrain installed 250 suicide-prevention signs along a 10-mile stretch of the right-of-way between Menlo Park and Mountain View, with a hotline number to a local crisis intervention agency. The signs are part of national study to test the effectiveness of signs in preventing suicides on railroads. The calls have been tracked to determine the effectiveness of the hotline for suicide prevention.

The signs, which will cost $110,000, have been posted on fences, gates, at grade crossings, on station platforms and along the property line. 

Although Caltrain has had similar signs on the right-of-way since 2001, the previous signs directed callers to an 800 number that used letters instead of numbers, a memory device that is not useful on newer phones. 

Caltrain intensified its efforts to prevent suicide on the railroad after last year, when four members of the community were lost in a six-month period.

Initially, Caltrain spearheaded meetings to bring together community representatives to collaborate and share resources and continue to be active participants in three community mental health organizations. The design of the signs as well as the location of the pilot project was guided by input from local mental health professionals.