Town officials have raised safety concerns regarding the CapeFLYER passenger rail service that will soon be passing through Wareham.

One of the main concerns is how fast the trains will travel through town.

"The train speed off-Cape is a little faster than on-Cape," said Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority administrator Tom Cahir. "I think the top speed anyone would be looking at would be 59 mph."

The CapeFLYER will do Boston-to-Hyannis runs on Friday evenings and Saturday and Sunday mornings, and Hyannis-to-Boston runs late Friday night and on Saturday and Sunday evenings.

Cahir pointed out that this is far less frequent than the commuter rail trains that run through other towns and cities.

"It's not like high speed trains will be coming across these crossings every hour, like with a commuter rail service," said Cahir.

Selectmen Chair Peter Teitelbaum said that the speed of the trains, particularly through the Merchants Way and Narrows Crossing areas, are of concern safety-wise.

At a recent public meeting about the rail service, "they did seem to acknowledge that 59 mph is too fast," said Teitelbaum.

Selectman Judith Whiteside, who attended the hearing, said she believes train officials will be responsive to the concerns expressed.

"I think even 30 mph from Tremont [Nail Factory] to Depot [Crossing] is too fast," said Whiteside.

Cahir said that the engineers operating the trains are experienced professionals, and he believes they'll show extra caution when driving through certain areas.

"I think that the engineers use discretion, so they'll probably be slowing down when they go through that particular area," Cahir said in reference to Merchants Way. Cahir added that there are plans to add signs to the area to increase safety.

Selectman Steve Holmes said that he feels it's up to residents to exercise common sense around the railroad tracks, no matter what the speed.

"If you're on an active railway you have to be careful. You don't just cross Main Street without looking both ways. If you see a train coming at 60 mph, don't cross yet," said Holmes.

Another issue that concerns Teitelbaum is whether or not local first-responders have the proper training to respond to a derailment or other train-related accidents.

"They're coming to us basically a month before this is going to start … and then they're saying, 'We'd like your public safety people to be trained,'" said Teitelbaum.

Wareham Fire Chief Robert McDuffy said that while he has some concerns, they would be raised by any municipality facing the same kind of issue.

"This [expansion of rail service] happens near Boston and throughout the Commonwealth," said McDuffy. "It's all about preparing our staff and knowing what our resources are."

Teitelbaum said that should first-responders need additional training, the bill for such training would be footed by the town.

"My concern is that this is basically for other people's benefit on the backs of Wareham taxpayers," he said.

The train service will run from South Station in Boston to the Hyannis Transportation Center. The closest stop to Wareham will be in Buzzards Bay.

The tracks are currently being upgraded so that they are safe for trains to travel at speeds of up to 60 mph, up from the current maximum of 30 mph. The work is expected to last until approximately May 10, and service will run from May 24 through September 2.

A number of railroad crossings in town will also be upgraded.