SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Caltrain on Thursday unveiled its initial plans for electrified service, which call for faster trains and a simplified schedule when electric operation begins in its San Francisco-San Jose corridor. Completion of the ongoing electrification project is currently expected in fall 2024.
The plans call for 104 weekday trains, including four trains per hour in each direction during peak periods; express trains expected to take about an hour between San Francisco and San Jose, while serving an increased number of station; local trains that will serve every station while cutting 25 minutes off current local schedules; and weekend service every 30 minutes, subject to additional financial analysis and budget confirmation.
The non-electrified portion of the system, south of Tamien station in San Jose, will continue to be served by four diesel-powered round trips daily, with three-minute cross-platform transfers at Diridon Station.
Weekday peak-hour trains would serve 79 stations per hour, up from the current 66, with midday trains covering 44 trains per hour, up from the current 34. Eleven stations would have four train arrivals per hour in each direction, up from the current seven.
More information on the draft electrified service plan, along with a rider survey, is available here. Caltrain is seeking community comment on the draft plan through October, with the final service plan to be finalized by the end of the year.
Caltrain is both purely promising and on the right track.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
This should be a big improvement for this service. 1 hour between SF and San Jose is a lot better than driving at rush hour.
Very true.
Dr. Güntürk Üstün