Caltrain hits, kills person on the tracks in Atherton

PNHOODS10D-C-01NOV00-PF-JLT A CalTrain commuter train leaves Atherton, CA's historic train depot. CHRONICLE STAFF PHOTO BY JERRY TELFER PNHOODS10D-C-01NOV00-PF-JLT A CalTrain commuter train leaves Atherton, CA's historic train depot. CHRONICLE STAFF PHOTO BY JERRY TELFER Photo: JERRY TELFER, SFC Photo: JERRY TELFER, SFC Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Caltrain hits, kills person on the tracks in Atherton 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A southbound commuter train with 340 passengers aboard struck and killed a person on the tracks near the Atherton Caltrain station Monday morning, officials said.

The person was hit at 9:58 a.m. at the Encinal Avenue crossing, according to Tasha Bartholomew, a Caltrain spokeswoman.

Caltrain No. 134 “has struck a trespasser and is stopped,” the agency wrote on Twitter at 10:05 a.m.

Initially, both tracks were shut down, but transit police opened the northbound track just after 10:30 a.m. and trains are single-tracking through the area at a speed limit of 20 miles per hour, according to Bartholomew.

The train involved in the fatal incident was stuck at the scene for over an hour before being released by transit police about 11:16 a.m., according to Caltrain.

Some passengers on train took to social media to express their dissatisfaction at being stuck.

“Your train is now involved in an investigation. Please be patient until police can safely release train,” Caltrain tweeted at one such customer just after 10:30 a.m.

Passengers on other trains are experiencing delays up to 30 minutes, according to Caltrain.

No injuries have been reported among the train’s passengers, the agency said in a statement. The incident is the third Caltrain-related fatality in 2017, Bartholomew said.

Filipa Ioannou is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: fioannou@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @obioannoukenobi