In response to rider complaints, Caltrain has decided to no longer wait for tardy passengers running to catch the train. Before Caltrain purchased the rail system from Southern Pacific in 1992, the Peninsula's train service has been waiting for late passengers for over 130 years.
Caltrain's new adherence to punctuality began with a decision from operations personnel, who decided conductors "Will no longer wait for the runners coming across the parking lot," said Rita Haskin, Spokesperson for Caltrain. "If the train were to wait ten seconds at each of Caltrain's 29 stations, it would make the trains 5 to 10 minutes late, creating a cumulative affect."
Haskin contends it is a disservice to the hundreds of patrons on the train, and those waiting down the line to be late because of one straggler. "We've been listening to customers who've been upset with our on-time performance -- we've looked and listened," Haskin said.
Michael Newsome, a passenger waiting on a southbound train said, "People shouldn't blame other people for being late. If we had a handicapped person at each station it would create a 5 minute delay, what would happen then?"
Newsome also said he has three clocks in his room, each set five minutes faster than the next so he'll be on time. "Everybody has their own pet peeve," Newsome continued, "But Caltrain should allow for late passengers."
Waiting for his first train in the United States, Venky Murthy, in San Mateo for a job interview from India, says that even though trains are less punctual than passengers in India, "I'd make it a point to get here early."
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
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PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
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