Caltrain will be suspending its train service between Millbrae and Menlo Park stations on the weekend of October 21-22 to accommodate Caltrain electrification construction and testing. Broadway, Burlingame, Hayward Park, Hillsdale, Belmont and San Carlos stations will not receive any service during this weekend.
Caltrain encourages riders to seek alternative transit options. Limited bus bridge service will be available to Caltrain-dependent riders traveling to or from Millbrae, San Mateo, Redwood City and Menlo Park stations, but passengers should expect delays and longer travel times. Passengers using other stations can take advantage of SamTrans ECR and 292, which can deliver them to stations being served by the bus bridge.
This will be the 22nd weekend 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.
Crews will be working to complete the installation and testing of the Overhead Contact System (OCS). This year, Caltrain has erected all of the poles needed for the OCS, as well as 752,000 feet of wire.
Caltrain is running a public awareness campaign throughout the year to alert riders to potential service disruptions and provide information about the new and improved service that electrification will deliver.
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. The project will improve the customer experience by increasing the number of trains, modernizing service and adding new safety elements. The new trains will feature on board displays with digital trip information, increased storage capacities, baby-changing tables, Wi-Fi and power outlets at every seat. 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 service plan for electrified service would see weekday peak hour trains cover 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 seeks community feedback throughout October 2023, with the final electrified service plan set to be finalized by year-end.
Caltrain recently began offering four new fare promotions, offering discounts for families, groups, youth and hybrid workers. Additionally, parking at Caltrain stations is 50% off, costing only $2.75 to park for the day.
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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.
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Media Contact: Dan Lieberman, 650.622.2492