Electrified Caltrain debuts for VIPs, limited public service begins Sunday – SFBay
Bay Area, state and federal politicians celebrated the inaugural run of Caltrain’s sleek and quiet electric train as it left the city’s Fourth and King Street stations early Saturday morning.
Construction to modernize the Caltrain system to support the electric fleet began in 2017 and will now offer limited electric service starting Sunday and through the rest of August. Caltrain officials said they will put new trains into service every week starting in August until the official start of service on Sept. 21.
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Governor Gavin Newsom and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi pose for photos in the cab of the Caltrain electric train in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, August 10, 2024. (Jerold Chinn/SFBay) -
San Francisco Mayor London Breed greeted guests at the Fourth and King Caltrain station in San Francisco, California, on Saturday, August 10, 2024. (Photo by Jerold Chinn) -
An empty seating area aboard a new electric Caltrain train in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024. (Jerold Chinn/SFBay) -
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Guests, including Governor Gavin Newsom, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and San Francisco Mayor London Breed, were treated to the 30-minute maiden voyage from San Francisco to Millbrae and were gifted with Caltrain swag, including a gold key to commemorate the event, tote bags, posters and model trains for children.
Newsom said at the press conference before boarding the train:
“This is the most transformative project of its kind in a generation.”
The electric fleet will bring new benefits to commuters, such as a faster trip to San Jose because the new trains can accelerate and decelerate more quickly. The trip from San Francisco to San Jose on a commuter train currently takes about an hour and a half, but the new trains will cut the trip time by 25 minutes. The express train from San Francisco to San Jose will take less than an hour.
During rush hours, trains will run every 15 to 20 minutes to 16 stations instead of the current seven. On weekends, trains north of San Jose will run every 30 minutes instead of hourly, according to Caltrain.
Other new amenities on board the new electric fleet include Wi-Fi, power sockets and larger accessible toilets. The trains also feature new digital displays with travel information and more storage space under the seats and in the luggage compartments above the seats.
One of the key aspects that officials emphasized is the conversion of Caltrain’s diesel fleet to electric vehicles and the reduction of the transit system’s greenhouse gas emissions. Representatives of the transit agency said carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 250,000 tons annually.
California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin said:
“Why is this important for the people in this region? More than 55,000 cars will disappear from the roads in this region because the trains passing through here will cause fewer emissions.”
Talks about electrifying Caltrain have long been under discussion, said San Francisco Mayor London Breed:
“Proposals for electric trains have been made since 1999 and now they are finally here. In bureaucratic years I would say that is a bit fast, but not as fast as these trains.”
The road to electrification has not been easy for Caltrain, as the project has encountered delays including problems installing signaling systems, unexpected track conditions and the Covid-19 pandemic, which Caltrain said dispersed suppliers essential to the project in 2021.
Amit Bose, administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, said the completion of the electrification project is another step toward high-speed rail in the state, as the Caltrain route between San Francisco and San Jose will be shared with high-speed rail service.
