Caltrain goes fully electric

The agency recently unveiled its new schedule, which includes at least 20% more stops at each station and quicker arrival times. While the speed is still capped at 79 mph per federal regulation, each electric train car’s respective engine allows it to accelerate quicker, allowing for shorter travel times, spokesperson Dan Lieberman said. 

“Each electric train car has its own engine to get things moving so, because of that, it allows them to get up to top speed much quicker,” he said, adding that horn noise levels also remain the same, per federal standards. 

Electric trains were introduced starting last month, though diesel trains have still remained in operation. 

The agency is also commemorating the launch by officially naming an electric train for U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, who, according to a press release from Caltrain, “has been a longtime advocate for public transit in general and Caltrain in particular.”

But despite the successful completion, the switch to electric was not without incident. Throughout the process, the agency dealt with frequent thefts of impedance bond cables, which ensure the higher voltage and lower voltage currents do not interfere with one another. Thefts were troublesome even when electrification was incomplete because they could result in serious injury or death when attempted with energized equipment, Lieberman said. 

The agency will also have to balance high energy costs, which may prove particularly challenging given its projected $100 million annual deficit starting in 2033. Executive Director Michelle Bouchard has said the fiscal hurdles Caltrain faces are of “existential” proportions. The agency is banking on a rise in farebox revenue as a result of electrified service, though it has a steep hill to climb. Caltrain ridership is still only at 35% of pre-pandemic ridership levels, according to recent estimates, lower than many other major transit systems like BART or San Francisco’s MUNI. 

“We do expect a big bump with the commencement of electrified service, however, we are still really needing to get back to the type of farebox recovery that we enjoyed pandemic to underpin our financial model,” Bouchard said in a recent board meeting. 

Caltrain is offering free rides Saturday, Sept. 21, and Sunday, Sept. 22.