On the weekend of March 9-10, Caltrain will be suspending early morning and late-night trains to accommodate the testing of the new electric fleet.
The first four northbound trains (#221, 225, 229, 233) and the first three southbound trains (#224, 228, 232) between San Francisco to Mountain View will be replaced by bus service. The last northbound (#281) and southbound (#284) trains will be cancelled, and the southbound #280 will be renumbered as #680 and will depart San Francisco a half hour early at 10:28 p.m. Riders should avoid Caltrain and seek alternative transportation if they are planning to travel during these times.
Limited capacity replacement bus service will stop at selected stations: San Francisco, Millbrae, Hillsdale, Redwood City, Palo Alto, and Mountain View. There will be no replacement bus or train service at other stations between San Francisco and Mountain View during these times.
Buses will have limited capacity for luggage and bikes. Riders can use bike parking options, which are available at most stations. Buses will have ADA accessible vans available for each route.
Caltrain’s historic Electrification Project is the first undertaking in North America in a generation in which diesel trains and their infrastructure components are transitioned to an electrified system. Electrification means faster and more frequent service, including doubling the frequency on weekends. The passenger experience will be greatly improved as well with the new trains featuring wi-fi, power outlets at every seat, onboard displays with digital trip information, increased storage capacities.
Electrification will also help meet ambitious regional and state climate action goals by lowering greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality and relieving traffic congestion. Additionally, electrified service will advance equity along the corridor by reducing noise and air pollution while increasing access for priority equity communities. It will also set the framework for California’s future High Speed Rail network that will run on the Caltrain corridor.
The proposed Electrification service plan would see weekday peak hour trains go to 79 stations per hour, an increase from the current 66. Eleven stations would experience four train arrivals hourly per direction, a notable improvement from seven stations currently. Midday trains would cover 44 stations per hour, up from 34 today.
Caltrain recently began offering four new fare promotions, offering discounts for families, groups, youth and hybrid workers.
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About Caltrain: Owned and operated by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, Caltrain provides rail service from San Francisco to San Jose, with commute service to Gilroy. Serving the region since 1863, Caltrain is the oldest continually operating rail system west of the Mississippi. Looking to the future, Caltrain is set to electrify the corridor by 2024, which will reduce diesel emissions and add more service to more stations while advancing the agency’s equity goals.
Editor’s Note: Electric Train Photos available here.
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Media Contact: Dan Lieberman, 650.622.2492