Last weekend, Caltrain had a relatively successful soft launch of electrified service. I spent the early part of Sunday riding electric trains along with other rail fans. Despite the learning curve for the train crews and some technical issues, the new trains are quiet, smooth, and accelerate rapidly.

Unfortunately on the last electric train of the day, a trespasser stepped on the track in Menlo Park and died upon impact with the train. I found out the incident the next morning by checking with social media accounts that covered the first day of electric service. Caltrain, following its new policy on not reporting fatalities, announced the delay and eventual train cancelation on Twitter/X that evening but did not reveal the nature of the delay.

On Monday, two local newspapers serving Menlo Park and Palo Alto covered the story in what I believe a sensational, unethical, and irresponsible manner with these types of headlines.

“…hits and kills teenager…”

“…strikes, kills pedestrian…”

Besides the misleading headlines portraying the rail agency and train engineer as murders, the stories also disclosed the name and age of the deceased, who was underage.

One of the newspapers is also taking issues with Caltrain over their new policy, dismissing concerns about copycats because they didn’t happen as often. By reporting of this tragic incident, that newspaper is clearly giving Caltrain a middle finger.

Honestly, I am not concerned whether Caltrain, the rail agency, has its feelings hurt by this reporting. I am concerned about potential copycats and their impact on riders, particularly the train crews, who are also direct victims of such acts. Those newspapers believe that placing some lifeline numbers, like other disclaimers and warnings, in the articles is “responsible” enough to discourage copycats.

Caltrain’s decision for the media blackout stems from the high likelihood that pedestrian deaths on tracks are actually intentional (nearly 2/3 according to a 2010 study by Mineta Transportation Institute on Caltrain’s past data). Considering that it may take weeks or months to make a formal determination whether a death is intentional, following an investigation that largely takes place away from the corridor, press coverage of deaths on the rail corridor may inadvertently publicize suicides.

Since 2000, Caltrain has installed more fences, barriers, and pedestrian gates along the corridor than similar railroad properties to reduce the risk of unintended train/pedestrian collisions. Newer reconstructed stations feature pedestrian underpasses and wide center platforms to further minimize risks. However, unless very drastic measures are implemented (like full platform gates commonly found in airport people movers), opportunities for intentional deaths remain, even in fully grade-separated systems.

Regarding the mental health aspect, it remains a complex issue with no clear solution. Menlo Park’s neighbor, Palo Alto, faced teen suicide clusters on train tracks a decade ago and responded by hiring security guards to monitor crossings for trespassers. Many attribute the problem to high academic pressure and the toxic environment created during social media’s early years in Silicon Valley. Unfortunately, irresponsible media outlets unintentionally exacerbated the situation for many years by repeatedly putting up headlines that include “strikes” and “kills.”

While their editorial standards and decisions are protected by the First Amendment, I believe those two newspapers should know better. The Federal Railroad Administration studied media reporting and made a series of recommendations, essentially advising that less detail is better. Poor word choice when describing these events also gives a wrong impression to vulnerable individuals. That’s why jumping deaths on the Golden Gate Bridge, along with other forms of suspected suicides, are generally not reported. The public and train riders may need to know about the probable length of train delays at the moment so they can decide whether to wait or seek alternative transportation. However, reporting the incident sensationally a day later allows these stories to spread on social media, potentially leading to unintended consequences.

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