On August 10, Caltrain unveiled its new all electric fleet, hosting a tour with elected officials as well as transportation, business, labor, and community leaders who participated in an inaugural round trip train ride from San Francisco to Millbrae. The Transportation Authority supported the $2.4 billion Caltrain Modernization Program (including Caltrain Electrification) with over $40 million in transportation sales tax and other funds.
The electric trains are the first of their kind in North America, signifying a landmark shift to a greener, quieter, more frequent, and faster public transportation network along the San Francisco Peninsula. The new vehicles also feature improved amenities including Wi-Fi, new digital onboard displays, electrical outlets directly at seats, and restroom baby-changing stations.Electric trains began running their first regular service on August 11. Every week, additional electric trains will be introduced until full electric service is launched on September 21.
“Congratulations to everyone who helped deliver this transformational project,” said Transportation Authority Board Chair Rafael Mandelman. “We are proud to have helped enable faster service to more communities along the corridor, while helping San Francisco and the Bay Area reach critical emissions reduction and economic recovery goals.” The project has created 33,000 jobs in 36 states, fueling economic growth and serving as a national model of clean economy innovation.
Mayor Breed thanked Caltrain and all the partners who collaborated to deliver the Electrification Project, and she also expressed excitement about the future extension of electrified service to the Salesforce Transit Center via The Portal, which will be operated initially by Caltrain, and eventually also by California High-Speed Rail. A delegation of federal and state officials later joined Transbay Joint Powers Authority staff and partners for a tour of the Portal at Salesforce Transit Center. The Transportation Authority has provided $146 million for the Transit Center and included $420 million for the Portal in its Prop K and Prop L sales tax programs.
Resources
Press Release: Caltrain Welcomes First Passengers on New Electric Trains (Caltrain)
