Caltrain began removing vegetation Tuesday along the rail corridor in Palo Alto as part of a suicide prevention program approved in August.
Caltrain also started installing fencing in the area to reduce access to rail tracks, according to Caltrain officials.
The vegetation removal and the fencing are part of an approved Aug. 24 memorandum of understanding between the city and Caltrain geared toward a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention on Caltrain tracks, agency officials said.
A thermal infrared camera pilot program slated for mid-September is also part of the improvements.
Caltrain crews during the next two months will be installing new 8-foot welded wire fencing between Oregon Expressway and San Francisquito Creek on the east side of the corridor. The project will cost an estimated $420,000 and will be paid for by Caltrain.
Caltrain will also install an additional 18 inches of three-cable angled winglets on top of existing fencing on the east side of the corridor between San Antonio and San Francisquito Creek to make the fences more difficult to climb. Palo Alto will pay $108,000 for the installation and another $168,000 for vegetation removal.
The vegetation removal and fencing projects should be completed by the end of October, Caltrain officials said.
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An intrusion detection system that uses thermal infrared cameras to detect objects via heat sensors more than a mile away will be installed at the Meadow Avenue crossing in mid-September for a 60-day evaluation period.
There will be no cost to the city during the system's trial period.
