Public Tour Tomorrow!

Over 4,000 people have RSVP’d to see the new electric fleet for the first time, but it’s not too late to join in on the fun. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday July 29, two of our new electric trainsets will be on display at San Jose Diridon Station for everyone to see. A collection of food trucks, vendor booths and a live DJ will be on hand to celebrate the occasion, so come on down and bring the family for a chance to see the future of Caltrain!

More Successful Tests for the Electric Train

The first successful test of an electric train on the corridor took place last month, but that marks the beginning of a long testing process to ensure the new trains are in good working order before they enter service. Currently, tests are proceeding well, as Caltrain staff continues to check that the trains and OCS are working properly. From there, each trainset will need to put in 1,000 hours so we can be sure they’re safe for the public. 

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More Weekend Shutdowns and Reduced Weekday Service for Construction

Caltrain has again suspended weekend service, this time between Hillsdale and Palo Alto stations on July 15-16 and July 22-23 in order to accommodate Caltrain Electrification construction and testing. Construction crews continue to erect poles and hang wires for the OCS, as well as installing and testing signaling equipment. A bus bridge helped to connect riders with their destinations through the affected area.

These were the 15th and 16th of approximately 30 weekends in 2023 in which service will be adjusted to accommodate construction and testing for electrified service, which is expected to launch passenger service in fall 2024. From August 7-25, Caltrain will be running reduced weekday service, meaning 90 trains per day and no Baby Bullet, in order to accommodate further construction. Thus far, construction crews have installed 66 poles this year along with more than 493,636 feet of wire, leaving a mere 265,935 to go!

CalSTA Delivers $350 Million in Grade Separation Funding

The California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) announced $350 million in grade separation funding on July 5, which will help to pay for projects along the Caltrain corridor in Burlingame, Palo Alto and Mountain View. This gets Caltrain one step closer to a grade separated corridor, meaning safer service, reduced horn noise and less disruption to local traffic. Caltrain is thankful for Sacramento’s continued support for making our tracks safer and reducing traffic bottlenecks.

State Budget Has Good News for Caltrain, Bay Area

Governor Gavin Newsom signed the FY2023-2024 state budget deal which includes $5.1 billion for local transportation for more than four years. Many transit agencies, including Caltrain, need the support for continued robust service and operations as they enter post-pandemic ridership. The operating budget will continue to fund Caltrain’s service and the agency's new electrified service, which is expected to launch in fall 2024. As Caltrain electrifies its fleet for riders and the environment, the new budget deal will assist in keeping Caltrain moving forward and serving the community.  

Summer of Caltrain Continues to Entertain Riders, Promote Service

It’s the Summer of Caltrain, and living is easy! Caltrain continued to celebrate our riders this month with fun activities on board and at stations. The Digital Communications Team hopped on board for an impromptu trivia contest about California’s rail history that got remarkably heated as rail fans battled over who knew the most. A gorgeous chalk mural celebrating the San Francisco Giants was created at the San Francisco Station to welcome baseball fans to the City. This celebration of Caltrain riders has been going on all summer from Pride to an upcoming art class at Burlingame, both at stations, on board, and at local bars that now feature Summer of Caltrain coasters. Make sure you celebrate the Summer of Caltrain in style by hopping on board and enjoying what the Bay Area has to offer!