Potential Freight Rail Strike Could Affect Caltrain Gilroy Service

Caltrain riders in south Santa Clara County could be impacted by a labor strike involving freight railroads. In the event of a railroad strike, rail service on the Gilroy segment of the Caltrain corridor, which is owned by Union Pacific, would be suspended. This includes Capitol, Blossom Hill, Morgan Hill, San Martin, and Gilroy stations and southbound riders at Tamien Station. The Gilroy segment is served by three morning and three evening trips on weekdays.

Service between Tamien and San Francisco Stations will be unaffected. Caltrain advises riders who use the Caltrain stations between Capitol and Gilroy to plan alternate transportation starting on Friday, September 16. Caltrain is working with VTA on potential bus bridge alternatives and will post additional information on the Caltrain website within the next few days.

If a strike is called, freight and passenger operations on corridors managed by freight railroads will cease, including the Union Pacific rail lines that Caltrain uses to provide service from Tamien to and from Gilroy. Caltrain hopes that all parties will come to an agreement that avoids a service interruption. Caltrain is following this situation closely and will make an announcement through its social media channels in the event of a strike. Follow @CaltrainAlerts for the most up-to-date information.

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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.

Follow Caltrain on Facebook and Twitter.

Media Contact: Dan Lieberman, 650.622.2492