Caltrain to temporarily reduce service in May to expedite electrification work
SAN MATEO (CBS SF) -- Starting next week, Caltrain will temporarily reduce its service in an effort to expedite electrification work in San Mateo and Burlingame.
Caltrain's daily service will drop from 104 trains per day to 88 between Monday and May 20, with three trains per hour traveling in each direction between 5:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
From Monday, May 2, to Friday, May 20, Caltrain will temporarily reduce its service levels down to 88 trains per day. We will operate 3 trains per hour in each direction between 5:30 am to 9 am and 3:30 pm. to 7 pm. pic.twitter.com/R1riKRGtoN
— Caltrain Alerts (@CaltrainAlerts) April 29, 2022
Baby Bullet service will also be temporarily suspended during the work period and trains will be single-tracked through the Broadway, Burlingame, San Mateo, Hayward Park and Hillsdale stations.
According to Caltrain, the work in Burlingame and San Mateo was originally scheduled to be completed in March, but was pushed back after a Caltrain engine slammed into a construction vehicle on March 10, ripping it in half and igniting its fuel tank into a massive fireball.
The train was carrying 75 passengers at the time of the crash, which injured 13 people, including two Caltrain employees.
A preliminary NTSB report stated that a Caltrain worker had notified dispatchers that the tracks were clear of maintenance workers minutes before the five-car commuter train traveling at 65 mph slammed into their vehicles. A preliminary report was released earlier in April.
Caltrain is in the process of switching its fleet of trains from 30-year-old diesel engines to electric engines. Caltrain officials have said the electrification project is expected to be completed by 2024.
The May service schedule can be found at the Caltrain website, as well as information about Caltrain station shuttles during the period of reduced service.
© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.