Caltrain has rolled out a new safety initiative at its crossings, starting with Churchill Avenue in Palo Alto. The initiative incorporates AI technology to boost safety measures. The tech, known as RailSentry, uses a LiDAR and camera setup to detect and immediately alert operation centers and Transit Police of obstacles on the tracks, including stationary vehicles or other hazards.

The system's deployment aims to reduce the incidence of collisions at the railway crossings significantly and has followed a successful trial at the Broadway Crossing in Burlingame. RailSentry has already proven to be a game-changer there, allowing Caltrain to monitor and quickly react to potentially dangerous situations closely. According to a Caltrain statement, the technology revealed that contrary to the previous rate of removing one vehicle every three months from the tracks, after RailSentry installation, three vehicles per week were detected, but with the additional safety measures, not a single incident has occurred since January.

Alongside RailSentry, Caltrain has introduced several other safety improvements, such as better pavement markings and installing solar-powered markers and reflective posts. These efforts combine neatly to make for smoother and clearer passage at crossings. Future safety enhancements for the year have been outlined, which include updated paint striping, new pavement markings, and enhanced traffic control signals.

Michelle Bouchard, the Executive Director of Caltrain, emphasized the organization's commitment to safety. "Safety is a core value at Caltrain that underlies everything we do," Bouchard told Caltrain's news update.