SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Caltrain continues to see a ridership boost following the shift to electrified operation, with service up 41% in December compared to the same month a year earlier.
The commuter rail operator recorded more than 588,000 riders in December, up from 416,000 in December 2023. The average weekday ridership of just over 24,000 is a 39% increase, Caltrain said, while weekends have more than doubled, with Saturdays up by 62% and Sundays up 85%. Weekend ridership is now near pre-pandemic levels.
“Electric service is continuing to deliver on its promise,” Caltrain Executive Director Michelle Bouchard said in a press release. “We are providing a fast, convenient, modern service, and many people who are tired of sitting in gridlock on 101 are getting onboard and experiencing the future of travel firsthand.”
The increased ridership continues a trend that began with the first full month of electrified service in October, when ridership was up 54% from the same month in 2023 [see “Caltrain electrification boosts ridership,” Trains News Wire, Nov. 15, 2024].
Sounds great but still nowhere near to 63,000 daily weekday riders they had in 2019.