I was really hoping the end of Chevron deference might mean Caltrain might get to kill off horns and bells. Alas, I don't think so.
The optional noise (horns and bells, especially near the level crossings) is obscene and I don't know why we put up with it. Everywhere the trains go, people plug their ears to avoid hearing damage. It's a miserable failure of government.
The worst part is the horns and bells don't even work. Many people die each year from being hit by Caltrain.
Computer vision has come a long way and PoE cameras are now super cheap, would be nice if they installed cameras as part of the electrification project that could continually verify whether crossings /track was clear ahead. It could prevent at least the accidental collisions much better than a horn+bell.
Yes, often a car that is stopped on the tracks then the driver panics when the gates start to come down.
Starting with cameras only at the crossings would prevent these with extremely low cost, and crossings are also the only places where the train must blow the horn.
Okay. I wonder why this isn't already a thing. (Also probably, "extremely low cost" underestimates the ease with which all crossings and many stations on the Peninsula have already been built up to crazy levels.)
The one electric Caltrain I rode recently played an ear shattering tone inside the trains when the doors were about to open and close. With any luck and enough complaints, it should be easy enough to dial that back or drop it entirely. I don’t remember the old trains ever playing a noise as loud when the doors open and close.
I think the new Stadler FLIRT trains over here also had "factory setting" horrible door close alert noise that was then toned down after a while. Maybe it's easier to have it that way so the manufacturer gets no lawsuit in the vein of "there was no warning the door was about to close!".
The old trains have the PA volume at completely random level from one car to the next. Often extremely loud. The staff is happy with it being just how it is (no intent to adjust it, no intent to report it to maintenance.) You travel on Caltrain or Bart with earplugs - necessary also because some cars are extra noisy and some cars have no sound insulation left.
