Old Caltrain cars will be put to use in Peru

“That’s what we thought was the best we could do when they were going to be decommissioned,” Lieberman said. “When they’re functional locomotives, there’s more of a demand for them.”

The agency will receive $6 million for the fleet, which will include shipping costs.

“The U.S. Embassy in Lima has said that the sale of these locomotives and train cars would serve to reduce approximately 330 tons of combined air pollutants per year in the region of Peru,” Executive Director Michelle Bouchard said during a Nov. 7 board meeting. “Because the U.S. government’s analysis shows that it will serve to reduce air pollution in Lima, we’re able to sell these functional locomotives to Lima, however … the term sheet would require that the vehicles be used only for passenger service.”

The locomotives will be shipped in early 2025, and it isn’t the first time a California transit fleet has been sent abroad. A couple years ago, San Diego shipped nearly 40 trolley cars to Mendoza, Argentina, by truck.

The new electric trains were fully launched in September and saw more than 753,000 passengers last month, marking a 54% increase from October 2023, with average weekday ridership at nearly 27,000. The electrification is expected to help recover pre-pandemic ridership levels — which is still less than 40% of 2019 levels — and subsequently farebox revenue, which will be critical to stave off steep fiscal cliffs. The agency is facing a $100 million annual projected deficit beginning 2033.