South San Francisco, CA October 3, 2023 Press Release
Caltrain will be suspending its service between San Francisco and Millbrae Stations on the weekends of October 7-8 and 14-15 to accommodate Caltrain electrification construction and testing.
Caltrain encourages riders to seek alternative transit options. Limited bus bridge service will be available to Caltrain-dependent riders, but passengers should expect delays and longer travel times. In particular, travelers heading to Fleet Week on October 7-8 or to Chase Center either weekend should transfer to BART at Millbrae to see the festivities along the San Francisco waterfront. Travelers heading to the 49ers vs. Cowboys game at Levi’s Stadium should take BART to Millbrae and transfer to Caltrain, then transfer to VTA light rail at Mountain View, or take BART to Milpitas Station and transfer to VTA Light Rail.
These will be the 20th and 21st of approximately 30 weekends in 2023 in which service will be adjusted to accommodate construction and testing for electrified service, which is expected to launch passenger service in fall 2024.
Caltrain is running a public awareness campaign throughout the year to alert riders to potential service disruptions and provide information about the new and improved service that electrification will deliver.
Caltrain’s historic electrification project is the first undertaking in North America in a generation in which diesel trains and their infrastructure components are transitioned to an electrified system. The project will improve the customer experience by increasing the number of trains, modernizing service and adding new safety elements. The new trains will feature on board displays with digital trip information, increased storage capacities, baby-changing tables, Wi-Fi and power outlets at every seat. Electrification will also help meet ambitious regional and state climate action goals by lowering greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality and relieving traffic congestion. Additionally, electrified service will advance equity along the corridor by reducing noise and air pollution while increasing access for priority equity communities. It will also set the framework for California’s future High Speed Rail network that will run on the Caltrain corridor.
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About Caltrain: Owned and operated by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, Caltrain provides rail service from San Francisco to San Jose, with commute service to Gilroy. Serving the region since 1863, Caltrain is the oldest continually operating rail system west of the Mississippi. Looking to the future, Caltrain is set to electrify the corridor by 2024, which will reduce diesel emissions and add more service to more stations while advancing the agency’s equity goals.
Thank you for including some detail on the electrification project.