Caltrain Adding Two More Bullet Trains to Help Fiscal Crisis

Caltrain will begin operating two more of its popular Baby Bullet trains May 2 to generate revenue as quickly as possible to help offset a fiscal crisis that threatens the survival of the rail line.

Responding to requests for an express train later in the morning and earlier in the afternoon, the additional Bullets will depart San Francisco at 8:11 a.m. and San Jose at 3:47 p.m.

Take ones with the schedule (PDF, 123.41 KB) will be available later this month. The two trains will make the same stops as Caltrain’s other reverse-peak Baby Bullet trains: San Francisco, 22nd Street (San Francisco), Millbrae, Hillsdale (San Mateo), Palo Alto, Mountain View and San Jose Diridon.

The two trains are being rushed into the Caltrain line-up two months ahead of a planned schedule change in July in the hope that they will chip away at Caltrain’s looming deficit.

Since they were introduced in June 2004, Caltrain’s 10 Baby Bullet trains have been extremely popular, most of them operating at capacity. Not only that, they generate nearly twice as much revenue as local trains, which make all local stops.

If service continues without significant changes, Caltrain will have to close a projected deficit of $13.6 million. Caltrain’s policy board, which includes three members each from agencies in San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, faces the formidable challenge of finding ways to close the deficit.

Caltrain does not have a dedicated funding source of its own and gets about 30 percent of its revenue from passenger fares and the remainder as subsidies from the three member agencies.

4/13/05