Cascadia
OBS Chief
Tonight I was three hours late getting home because of a tragedy, I was on the southbound Cascades train #517 from Vancouver BC, and when we were almost to the Bellingham Station, unfortunately we struck and killed a bicyclist at Boulevard Park, right where the trail crosses the tracks.
When the train came to a halt at Boulevard Park I knew exactly what had happened, then the Assistant Conductor came on and asked if there were any doctors etc on the train . . .bad news.
Lots of emergency vehicles came to the parking lot by Boulevard Park so we could see that much through the windows. When the ambulance finally left it didn't have the lights flashing and was driving slowly so we all assumed the worst, then it was confirmed later.
Of course the crew never really announced formally what had happened they sort of alluded to a trespasser on the tracks and an "incident" and "Inspecting the train for damage" then they kept talking about the police investigation which took a long time, a lot of rail guys came too. And they had to bring a new engineer cause the old one wasn't going to be driving any more that night - poor guy I really feel sorry for him and for the crew cause they had to go out and deal with this woman on the ground, I guess it was bad.
They said this woman was on her cell phone and didn't even look at all. There was some speculation about it being a suicide but I think she was just oblivious. They said she just turned 49 like yesterday. of course the engineer was blowing the horn and everything. People just don't pay any attention, I've seen how they are.
Anyway we couldn't leave forever. The AC was so civilized, she offered the smokers to come down and smoke in the baggage car, and not get off the train. I went down to see if she would let me off cause I could have walked home from there so easily. She said she'd ask the conductor but I pretty much knew is was a no go. I didn't push it anymore after that.
We all just waited, there was this big family group by me, they had kids with them, the little kids were well behaved, everyone was pretty civilized. They announced free snack packs and water in the lounge car, I think most people took advantage of that.
The bright spot for me was that I went in the station when we finally got there and one of the ticket agents, who I know, was there, I thought maybe I had seen her out the window earlier. She had come to drive the engineer from the northbound train, the one that overnights in Bellingham, to be the engineer going south again.
She said, if I'd known you were on the train up there, I could have driven you down here, I said, I asked but they wouldn't let me off, then I asked her for a ride, she had to go this way anyway, isn't it nice to have friends at the station? The conductor from the northbound train was there too, she gave him a ride to his hotel.
Well that was the sad story of my trip home tonight. Thought I'd make a trip report out of it anyway. I was very sorry for the crew to have to deal with this and for the engineer especially of course. And sad for the family of this poor dead woman. I wonder if they will do something about that crossing, it seemed like an accident waiting to happen, with a busy hiking and biking trail right by the busy waterfront park, crossing the busy railroad tracks. Lots of freight trains go through there. People have their head phones on and are so oblivious. Sorry this time it had a sad ending.
When the train came to a halt at Boulevard Park I knew exactly what had happened, then the Assistant Conductor came on and asked if there were any doctors etc on the train . . .bad news.
Lots of emergency vehicles came to the parking lot by Boulevard Park so we could see that much through the windows. When the ambulance finally left it didn't have the lights flashing and was driving slowly so we all assumed the worst, then it was confirmed later.
Of course the crew never really announced formally what had happened they sort of alluded to a trespasser on the tracks and an "incident" and "Inspecting the train for damage" then they kept talking about the police investigation which took a long time, a lot of rail guys came too. And they had to bring a new engineer cause the old one wasn't going to be driving any more that night - poor guy I really feel sorry for him and for the crew cause they had to go out and deal with this woman on the ground, I guess it was bad.
They said this woman was on her cell phone and didn't even look at all. There was some speculation about it being a suicide but I think she was just oblivious. They said she just turned 49 like yesterday. of course the engineer was blowing the horn and everything. People just don't pay any attention, I've seen how they are.
Anyway we couldn't leave forever. The AC was so civilized, she offered the smokers to come down and smoke in the baggage car, and not get off the train. I went down to see if she would let me off cause I could have walked home from there so easily. She said she'd ask the conductor but I pretty much knew is was a no go. I didn't push it anymore after that.
We all just waited, there was this big family group by me, they had kids with them, the little kids were well behaved, everyone was pretty civilized. They announced free snack packs and water in the lounge car, I think most people took advantage of that.
The bright spot for me was that I went in the station when we finally got there and one of the ticket agents, who I know, was there, I thought maybe I had seen her out the window earlier. She had come to drive the engineer from the northbound train, the one that overnights in Bellingham, to be the engineer going south again.
She said, if I'd known you were on the train up there, I could have driven you down here, I said, I asked but they wouldn't let me off, then I asked her for a ride, she had to go this way anyway, isn't it nice to have friends at the station? The conductor from the northbound train was there too, she gave him a ride to his hotel.
Well that was the sad story of my trip home tonight. Thought I'd make a trip report out of it anyway. I was very sorry for the crew to have to deal with this and for the engineer especially of course. And sad for the family of this poor dead woman. I wonder if they will do something about that crossing, it seemed like an accident waiting to happen, with a busy hiking and biking trail right by the busy waterfront park, crossing the busy railroad tracks. Lots of freight trains go through there. People have their head phones on and are so oblivious. Sorry this time it had a sad ending.