A 2,000-foot chain link fence that surrounded Bethel Park High School's tennis courts was donated to Derry Borough Monday night.

The fence will be used to block access to the train tracks there and, officials hope, prevent another tragedy such as the three deaths that have occurred since July.

The donation comes less than two weeks after Sheila Singer, 37, and her 2-year-old son, John Smart, were fatally struck by a train as they were crossing the railway tracks in Derry Borough. In July, 15-year-old Douglas Albright was also killed while crossing the tracks.

Borough officials and residents have pondered ways to discourage people from taking the dangerous shortcut, with suggestions including fences, fines, surveillance cameras, an easily accessible walkway and a jitney.

At Bethel Park High School, the ongoing construction project necessitated the removal of the fence that surrounded the tennis courts. Chuck Derito, the high school construction project site manager for Massaro CM Services LLC, proposed that the fence be donated to Derry Borough, where he has lived for 53 years.

"The fence was going to be scrapped, so I asked my subcontractor if they would be interested in donating it to the Derry Borough to protect the track from people crossing it," he said.

Massaro tries to help out with community projects on a regular basis, Mr. Derito said. In preparation of the G-20 Summit, they volunteered to clean Phipps Conservatory, where world leaders gathered on Sept. 24.

The borough officially accepted the donation of the 12-foot-high fence Monday night at a council meeting, Mayor Susan Bortz said.

A separate donation of fencing and related costs will cover a 57-foot opening, she said. Now that the borough has the Bethel Park fence, they will be looking into grants and other funding mechanisms to cover the costs of erecting it.

She said she is not sure yet where the fence will be set, but said it will be placed at some point along the railroad tracks to prevent public access.

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