Caltrain’s on-time performance rate dipped significantly in November, a drop in service that the regional transit agency attributed to a host of problems during the month.

Caltrain’s average on-time vehicle arrival rate was 92 percent during November, a 4.3 percent drop from November of 2008, and a three percent drop the agency’s standard on-time goal.

Officials chalked up the poor performance to two separate fatalities on the tracks, several signal failures, and two different incidents involving vehicles at grade-crossings.

The low on-time performance levels weren’t the only gloomy news for Caltrain. Ridership levels in November were down 7.5 percent from the year before. Caltrain posted an average weekday ridership level of 36,775 passengers, down nearly 3,000 people from November of 2008.