New electric trains to have one restroom: Caltrain board approves facilities on future fleet

Each of the new electric six-car trains will have at least one restroom on board — a decrease from current conditions, particularly on its newer diesel bombardier trains that have a restroom on each car. Its older gallery-style diesel trains have one restroom per five cars, according to a staff report.

The board voted 7-2 to keep at least one restroom on board — an important step as officials seek to have at least 75 percent of its fleet electrified by 2020, said Caltrain spokeswoman Jayme Ackemann.

“It’s the final policy decision that needed to be made before we can select a manufacturer for the [electric trains]. So we’re glad to have crossed this milestone,” Ackemann said. “The consensus of the board members was that providing a restroom on board the train was humane and necessary.”

Tradeoffs

In considering whether to keep restrooms onboard, the board weighed the tradeoffs. Adding bathrooms would have additional costs and decrease the available space for passengers. In drafting a base contract to purchase 96 cars, or 16 trains, staff noted it would cost an additional $2.8 million to add restrooms and each is expected to take up 12 seats or room for up to 24 standees.

With ridership reaching an all-time high and expected to increase alongside the Bay Area’s population, meeting future demands has been a prime driver for modernizing the Peninsula’s main commuter line.

However, after hearing from the public through various surveys over the last few months and years, officials voted this week to assure the public there would be at least one restroom per new electric train.

“The decision to have one bathroom per train as opposed to more is a compromise,” said Adina Levin, with the advocacy group Friends of Caltrain. “Space is going to continue to be at a premium, and this is the tradeoff that the board made to make room and accommodate riders with bathrooms.”

The need to provide restrooms on the train is particularly poignant for special service to events — such as Giants baseball or San Jose Sharks hockey games — as well as for those who become unexpectedly stuck on the train when fatalities occur on the tracks, Ackemann said. Levin agreed, adding elderly passengers or those with medical conditions must also be considered.

Furthermore, there aren’t currently many options for riders at stations. Only two of Caltrain’s 32 stations — San Francisco and San Jose — have public restrooms. Some other stations, such as at Palo Alto and Menlo Park, have business with restrooms for customers only, according to the report.

While on-board restrooms are anticipated to cost about $175,000 a pop, not including maintenance costs; constructing a basic station restroom could still run at least $134,000 with safety concerns also an issue, according to staff.

With the restroom decision finalized, staff can begin further negotiations with firms to purchase new trains — for which a contract is expected to return in summer and the board anticipated to pick a manufacturer next month, according to the report.

Bicycle capacity

Another issue that was a source of controversy for some riders was how much bicycle capacity the new trains should have. The board decided early on in the design process that it would use a ratio of having eight seats for every one bike space on the train, Ackemann said.

Levin noted various ridership advocacy groups have advocated for bike-toting passengers who need help with the “last-mile connection” between the train stop and their destination must be accounted for.

Even though some had hoped for more space, she’s encouraged that future station improvements such as lockers and more bike share facilities will be included — Caltrain staff previously noted the transit agency has dedicated $3 million to bike-related station improvements.

With the Bay Area’s population expected to increase, multiple communities approving new transit-oriented developments near the tracks and traffic congestion already a nightmare; Levin noted electrifying Caltrain will help it provide more frequent service and meet future demands.

“There are many reasons why having electric service is going to be helpful. The 101 is completely packed and we need to provide for people who are commuting and are not on the congested 101 and are using more environmentally friendly [transit],” Levin said. “We need to have transit be an excellent and practical choice.”

The entire Caltrain Modernization Program is being supported by a variety of local, regional, state and federal sources. Electrification is heavily connected to the state’s high-speed rail, with an estimated $713 million to be contributed toward Caltrain’s project. The two transit agencies became intertwined when they agreed to a blended system of sharing the tracks along the Peninsula. Caltrain officials are also eagerly awaiting word on whether it will be awarded more than $647 million in federal grant funds. It’s expected to spend $618 million on the new trains, with other costs including electrifying the tracks and instituting a new federally-mandated control system.

Visit caltrain.com for more information.

samantha@smdailyjournal.com

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