Caltrain and our regional transit system

The system will also be prepared to accommodate services that connect the Peninsula to the rest of the region and the state through high-speed rail, a potential second transbay tube and a new rail connection between Redwood City and the East Bay.

By all accounts, Caltrain has become one of the nation’s most effective rail systems. Since 2004, Caltrain’s ridership has more than doubled, making it the nation’s seventh largest commuter rail system. It’s also the nation’s most efficient. Caltrain has one of the highest farebox recovery ratios of any rail system in the nation and carries more passengers and operates more miles per employee than any other major U.S. railroad.

But doing more with less has also brought challenges, and today the system is strained, with overcrowded trains and outdated equipment. To address these issues, Caltrain secured a historic level of local, regional, state and federal investments to modernize the corridor and operate high-performance electric trains. This project is under construction and, once completed, will increase the system’s capacity, improve frequency, reduce travel times and provide the foundation for future expansion of the service.

But to address the demands of our growing region, we will need to do more. Caltrain, unlike most other major transit systems lacks a dedicated and reliable revenue stream. It relies on its farebox recovery and operating subsidy from the three member agencies — San Francisco, the San Mateo County Transit District and the Valley Transportation Authority — to provide a backbone transportation service for communities from Gilroy to San Francisco.

To further increase capacity and expand service, we will need to make major further investments in the system. By making smart, long-term investments now we can improve reliability, capacity and frequency for riders in a way that addresses growing regional traffic congestion.

That is the intent and result of our long range Business Plan. Through this effort, Caltrain is leading the way to a better future. We have proposed a bold, but necessary path to keep the Bay Area moving while better connecting our communities, improving our quality of life, enhancing our economy and protecting our environment.

The approach is a “big tent” plan derived from an open, technically rigorous and collaborative process with communities, riders and our partners. We have worked closely with 21 cities and 93 stakeholder organizations on the plan and we hosted more than 150 stakeholder meetings resulting in tens of thousands of comments.

The plan is sound. To implement it fully, we will need to make a number of major capital improvements. A necessary first step will be finally providing Caltrain with a dedicated funding source.

Before trains began operating from San Jose to San Francisco in 1863, the fastest way to get between the two cities was an eight-hour steamboat ride. Caltrain’s baby bullet does the same trip in just more than an hour. In the future, electrification will shave an additional 10 minutes off the journey. Future investments will make the system even faster, provide more service and expand our capacity to serve more people.

While a lot has changed in the 150 years since passenger service started on this corridor, Caltrain’s Business Plan connects our immediate needs to our future needs, and outlines the investment necessary to prepare for our next 150 years.

Jim Hartnett serves as the executive director of Caltrain. Visit caltrain2040.org to learn more about and comment on our collective future.