Jury selection began today in the trial of a man accused of parking his SUV on railroad tracks and causing a January 2005 Metrolink derailment that killed 11 people and injured more than 180 others.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William R. Pounders told prospective jurors that Juan Manuel Alvarez is charged with 11 counts of murder involving "a collision between a Metrolink train and a vehicle parked on the tracks in Glendale."

In all, about 450 jurors are expected to be called into court through Friday -- 150 each today, Wednesday and Friday -- to be quizzed about whether it would be a financial hardship to serve on a three-month trial and to fill out questionnaires detailing what they know about the case.

During the morning session, 18 of the 65 prospective jurors were excused for hardship.

The 23-page questionnaires ask if potential jurors know anyone who was aboard the Metrolink train when it collided with Alvarez's Jeep Grand Cherokee on the railroad tracks in the city of Glendale and what they already know about the case through media coverage involving the now 29-year-old defendant.

Jurors also are asked in the questionnaires whether they are familiar with the area where the crash occurred, whether they have any training in medical or behavioral sciences and what their attitude is on capital punishment.