Ninth person this year dies on Caltrain tracks

Northbound tracks at the Mountain View Caltrain station reopened more than four hours after a man was killed when he apparently jumped in front of a commuter train Tuesday afternoon, a Caltrain spokeswoman said.

Northbound Caltrain No. 365 hit the pedestrian near the San Antonio station, Caltrain spokeswoman Jayme Ackemann said. Caltrain reported the collision at about 4:40 p.m. Witnesses told Caltrain employees that the man had been standing on the station platform and jumped as the train went through the station, Ackemann said.

The train was an express line scheduled to pass through the station without stopping. Trains were single-tracking on the southbound tracks through the area, she said. Trains were delayed during the evening commute, Ackemann said. As of about 8 p.m., trains were delayed by an hour and 45 minutes, she said.

The northbound tracks reopened at about 8:50 p.m. and Caltrain crews were working to restore normal service, according to Ackemann. The man’s death appears to be a suicide, she said. The death is the ninth on Caltrain tracks so far this year. There were 10 in all of 2014.

Most train-related deaths are suicides. There are 24-hour hotlines available nationwide for anyone coping with depression or suicidal thoughts.

The Bay Area Suicide and Crisis Intervention Alliance provides regional 24-hour hotlines for suicidal individuals. In Alameda County the number is (800) 309-2131, in Contra Costa County (800) 833-2900, in Marin County (415) 499-1100, in San Francisco (415) 781-0500 and in San Mateo County (650) 579-0359.