Updating guide

What makes an update useful or helpful? No matter what, updates need to be newsworthy and concise. If things are normal or how they should be there is no reason to announce it. Think of this service as a EAS for Caltrain. Too many updates could cause frustration or desensitize users who may stop following or updating which hurts everyone in the long run.

Here are some formatting suggestions for updates:

1) Please update the appropriate account.

bikecar - For updates specific to the bicycle car

caltrain - Everything else.

2) Abbreviate when you can. Use common sense.

NB/SB = Northbound/Southbound

MV, PA, MP = Mountain View, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, etc

Dep/Arr = Depart/Arrive

3) Include direction and number of train.

NB287

4) What is newsworthy about the train?

Regardless what the context is for your update the key is to include as much relevant information to help the majority of riders. Consider including the station and time the train departed if it was late, for example. A train leaving or arriving on time is not news. In fact it should do that all the time. *ahem*

4a) Delay, accident, fatality, or anything not bike car related?

NB287 dep. MV 15m late

NB287 mechanical problems after Millbrae. No ETR

NB287 fatality at MV. Trains single tracking

4b) Are you updating about the bike car status?

This is important to bikers for many reason which I won’t get into here. There are two style bike cars — newer style Bombardier which hold 16 bicycles with 2 banks of 4 at each end of the car and older style Nippon Sharyo (a.k.a. gallery) which hold 32 bicycles with 4 banks of 4 at each side of the car.

Noting the type and number of cars, and how full the cars are is important. No need to count how many open slots there are, but space being limited or peoplegettingt bumped are two good details to include.

NB287 1 old, almost empty

NB287 2 new, near full

NB287 1 old, many bumped from MV

5) Official announcements

Sometimes there are official announcements at Caltrain’s webiste, platform display signs, 511.org, or elsewhere. If you happen to notice one relaying it may be helpful.

Comments and feedback are always welcome.