Caltrain completes rollout of all-electric fleet between San Jose, San Francisco
On Saturday, Caltrain officially ushered in a new era by launching fully electric service between San Francisco and San Jose.
This was the culmination of a $2.4 billion project that broke ground in 2017.
"This is a vastly improved railroad. The trains are so much better, they're so much nicer," said Caltrain spokesperson Dan Lieberman. "This is a generational change, one we're really proud to be a part of."
Caltrain now has a fleet of 37 electrified trains. They're more eco-friendly and much faster than the agency's diesel locomotives used for decades.
"Our new express is being able to travel from San Francisco to San Jose in under an hour — that's practically miraculous," Lieberman said.
There will be more frequent service throughout the corridor, per Caltrain. During peak hours, 16 stations will receive trains every 15-to-20 minutes.
Some train numbers are changing, however, so those who plan to commute on Monday should be aware of that.
With fully electrified service, the move will help Caltrain meet its climate action goals.
"For the future generations, this is going to be a really important deal in terms of reducing emissions and protecting the climate," said Joshua Apte, a professor of environmental engineering and environmental health sciences at UC Berkeley.
Lieberman said the move will benefit people in the Bay Area now and well into the future.
"We are looking at a corridor that has been in use for 160 years," he said. "So, when we're talking about any sort of improvement like electrification – that's not just an improvement for today. It's an improvement for today, tomorrow, next year, next decade, next century – and that's the sort of work that we've done here."