SAN CARLOS, Calif. — Caltrain will suspend service between San Francisco and San Jose this coming weekend, June 8-9, for testing of its new electric fleet. It will be the last in a series of weekend service disruptions prior to the planned September launch of electrified service on the San Francisco-San Jose corridor.
Limited-capacity replacement bus service will serve the San Jose Diridon, Palo Alto, and Millbrae stations, with transfer to BART available at Millbrae. Buses will have limited capacity for luggage and bikes. Riders who use other stations should seek alternative transportation. Additional information is available here.
Caltrain describes the electrification project as the first of its kind in North America in a generation. The service plan for the start of electrification calls for more trains during peak periods, shorter travel times, and additional weekend service [see “Caltrain finalizes electrification operating plan,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 12, 2023]. An exact date for the launch of electrified service has not yet been announced.
The bill being referenced heavily favored Bart and Muni which caused a lot of consternation from parties that whose taxes would pay for the bill but would not directly benefit from it.
I’m pleased to see the commencement of Caltrain electric train service get closer. But I can’t let this report pass without also noting reporting in Bay Area media that Caltrain was one of the operators that derailed a bill in the current legislative session that other transit agencies were counting on to survive the post-pandemic traffic shifts they’re experiencing (and the exhaustion of pandemic bail-out money). After the November election, it will be a race against the clock to get something workable before the region’s voters in 2026. Watch this space.