Trains are an essential part of local and global transport, but they can also be dangerous. Especially in California, where train deaths are the highest in the nation, according to Federal Railroad Administration statistics.
Ranger Sky Conner in Summerland says exercising caution when crossing the tracks could save your life.
"There was an incident at Rincon Beach where a hiker was hiking with his three off-leash dogs. And, you know, there's a crossing there and the train must have come up too fast on him and he wasn’t able to get away, and unfortunately, it ended up taking his life," Conner recalled.
Data from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office shows deaths this past year spiked. Since 2019, there have been 17 train-related deaths in Santa Barbara County and seven of them occurred in 2023.
The increase is felt statewide.
"We usually see about 8 to 10 per quarter and this last quarter we’ve seen 16," said Jason Jewell, Managing Director of the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor Agency.
Jewell says incidents are typically caused by illegal track crossings for beach access, unhoused encampments along railways, or involve someone experiencing a mental health crisis.
Nancy Sheehan-McCulloch, executive director of California Operation Lifesaver, says rail-safe communities are built through education.
"Ask them to respect the rails, stay off, stay away, stay safe, and never go around gates," she said.
In an effort to reduce train-related deaths and collisions, LOSSAN and Operation Life Saver launched "Operation Safe Surfs" to provide educational outreach and rail safety advertisements in hot spots between San Diego and San Luis Obispo.
Operation Safe Surfs will eventually roll out a geofencing alert system to enhance safety. No date of release has been provided yet.
