Woman hit by Amtrak train in California

[Superliner Diner]

We've spoken in the Commuter forum about the unfortunate carnage, particularly in the Bay Area of California, and particularly CalTrain. Now another trespasser in the Bay Area has been hit by a train, only this time it was one of Amtrak's Capitol Corridor trains.

Train hits woman, severing both legsA Hayward woman lost both legs Wednesday after being hit by an Amtrak train in Fremont.

Complete story is here. And some more there.

 

[battalion51]

Are people just dumb or what?

 

[tp49]

She's actually VERY lucky with a capital L. I am very farmiliar with the area where this happened and currently there is a speed restriction I believe its 25 or 30 which probably saved her life. This area is just north of the Niles Junction about three minutes out from Fremont station and the nearest grade crossing is about a half mile away. One of those probably using the tracks as a shortcut. The train was most likely SB Cap Corridor 524.

 

[jccollins]

The train was most likely SB Cap Corridor 524.

The Capitols only run east and west. Eastbound (to Sacramento) trains are the only ones with even numbers; Westbound (to San Jose) trains all have odd numbers.

524 would be an eastbound train... that is if it even existed. Amtrak does not operate ANY train numbered 524, any day of the week.

<_<

 

[tp49]

I goofed it was probably train 523. I know they call the trains Eastbound and Westbound but they seem to run most of their route north/south than east/west especially in the East Bay which is why I said it was a SB train.

 

[Superliner Diner]

I believe that all railroads operate east-west only, even if their compass direction is north-south.

Alan may correct me here, but I think the NYC subway may be the lone exception to that, running railroad north or south.

Amtrak trains that operate here on the Northeast Corridor in a northbound or southbound direction are still considered respectively railroad east or railroad west.

Out west there is some confusion, as Oakland, CA is the center of the universe. Thus at that point, the northbound Coast Starlight goes from running railroad west to railroad east.

 

[AlanB]

Alan may correct me here, but I think the NYC subway may be the lone exception to that, running railroad north or south.

Nope, no correction needed. All NYC subways do indeed run either North or South. There is no east or west here. I don't however know if they are the lone exception to the east/west rule.

Out west there is some confusion, as Oakland, CA is the center of the universe.  Thus at that point, the northbound Coast Starlight goes from running railroad west to railroad east.

We've got one of those confusing points too on the NYC Subways. It's at Chambers Street on the J line. A train that has just left Fulton Street and is heading compass north, is also heading Railroad North. However, once the train leaves Chambers Street still heading compass north, it is now going Railroad South. That train will continue to run south all the way over the Williamsburg Bridge and to the end of the line.

 

[tp49]

Being from LI originally I always (mistakenly) believed that railroads ran in the compass direction as on the line I lived on the Eastbound trains ran mostly east and the westbound trains ran mostly west.

So if a trian is running NB is it considered running East or West we'll use the Surfliners or City of NO as an example because using the Starlite would probably confuse me even more.