On track

These days, I don’t commute to an office, so Caltrain is no longer a significant part of my life. I still take it whenever I can, though. For instance, the other day, I needed to take my car to a dealership in Burlingame for service. After dropping off my car, I walked four blocks to the Burlingame Caltrain station and caught the train back to Redwood City. The next day I did the reverse, when picking up my car.

While commuting I had a monthly pass, which made things simple and affordable (especially when my employers started subsidizing it). Caltrain discontinued monthly passes and switched over to Clipper cards right around when I stopped making my commute, so I never obtained one of those. Although they are still popular, for those of us who aren’t regular riders, machines at all Caltrain stations make the process of buying a one-way ticket or day pass fairly simple. Still easier, though, is to do what I do and use the Caltrain Mobile app — available for iOS and Android smartphones — to both buy a ticket and check train schedules.

My innate love of trains got me on them in the first place, but, once there, I discovered a lot more to love. For instance, riding the train saves wear and tear on my car, and eliminates stress that comes from fighting heavy traffic. Then there is that fact that I don’t have to focus on driving, but instead can relax and do work, read a book or even close my eyes and listen to music or a podcast. And not to be discounted are the train’s bathrooms. They may not always be the cleanest, but they’re at least an option on a train, unlike with a car.

Train trips often take longer than driving, but one simply needs to plan for that and make good use of the time. And the extra time the trip takes is more than compensated for by the fact that trains are one of the most efficient means of transport. While trains often suffer from the “last mile problem” — it can admittedly be difficult getting from the station to your final destination — often there are good solutions. When there are not, well, trains are by no means the answer in every situation. When they are, though, they can be a good answer indeed. My wife and I have found Caltrain useful in getting to SFO (by transferring to BART in Millbrae), to San Jose International Airport (get off at Santa Clara and take the free, convenient bus that runs back-and-forth between the train and the airport), and to get to Amtrak. For this last, we take Caltrain to San Jose’s Diridon station, and then hop on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight, which runs between Los Angeles and Seattle. It’s very convenient when visiting out kids in the Pacific Northwest.

Caltrain is pretty great, but this fall it’ll get even better, when today’s diesel locomotives are retired in favor of electric ones. While the switch aims to give riders shorter and smoother journeys, I suspect the real beneficiaries will be the rest of us. The significantly quieter locomotives will make life better not only for those living close to the tracks, but also for those, like me, who enjoy dining al fresco in downtowns up and down the Peninsula.

Many area residents see Caltrain merely as something to fume while stuck at a rail crossing where the arms are down. Too few of us see it as what it can often be: a safe, efficient and relatively inexpensive way to move up and down the Peninsula. Next time you are going somewhere, consider the train. You just might like it!

Greg Wilson is the creator of Walking Redwood City, a blog inspired by his walks throughout Redwood City and adjacent communities. He can be reached at greg@walkingRedwoodCity.com. Follow Greg on Twitter @walkingRWC.