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181-434: The Peninsula Commute , also known as the Southern Pacific Peninsula or just Peninsula , was the common name for commuter rail service between San Jose and San Francisco on the San Francisco Peninsula . This service ran as a private, for-profit enterprise beginning in 1863. Due to operating losses, the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) petitioned to discontinue the service in 1977. Subsidies were provided through

362-547: A "blended" plan to partially fund electrification with high-speed rail money in return for allowing high-speed rail trains to share tracks in the future. Later, Caltrain announced that it had studied the plan and believed it to be feasible. Under a proposed agreement between Caltrain and the CHSRA, details of which were leaked in February 2012, up to $ 1 billion could be available from the high-speed rail project to help fund

543-578: A PTC management system along the tracks. PTC is designed to fulfill federal safety mandates for passenger rail and is part of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) waiver to use EMUs on tracks shared with freight traffic. Funding for the project came from various federal, state, and local sources, including from the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA). Proposals for electrifying

724-538: A budget crisis in 2011 that nearly forced it to cut service to peak commute hours only, while funding sources for electrification remained unidentified. At the same time, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) was having trouble identifying a route from San Jose to San Francisco in the face of local opposition. In response, U.S. Representative Anna Eshoo , State Senator Joe Simitian , and Assemblymember Rich Gordon announced

905-529: A commuter rail operation running from Union City to San Francisco and San Jose using EMUs. In 2003, The San Francisco County Transit Authority proposed Proposition K in San Francisco, a local transportation sales tax. Voters were given an expenditure plan estimating the total cost of Caltrain electrification as $ 183.5 Million with San Francisco's share costing $ 20.5M, met with Proposition K, which passed. Despite increasing ridership, Caltrain experienced

1086-469: A condition set by the FRA to allow mixed traffic on the corridor. Key decisions in the development of CalMod can be traced back to the 1992 Feasibility Study , which recommended 25 kV AC overhead lines ; the 1998 Rapid Rail Study , which recommended low-cost upgrades to first improve service and build demand; the 2006 Caltrain 2025 proposal, which proposed the use of lightweight electric multiple units;

1267-665: A controlling interest in the SF&;SJ and SP, and the SF&SJ, SP, the Santa Clara and Pajaro Valley Railroad , and the California Southern were folded into a consolidated Southern Pacific Railroad on October 12, 1870. Under Southern Pacific the line was double tracked in 1904, and multiple cutoffs were built over a period ending in 1910. The first of these, the Bayshore Cutoff , opened in 1907 and rerouted

1448-765: A day. The petition was opposed by regional transit agencies, including the MTC, who passed Resolution No. 479 to request the CPUC deny the SP petition. On October 17, 1977, the administrative law judge issued an order asking "Who will pay the cost of this regional insurance against the uncertainties of tomorrow? In the interim period, CALTRANS, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and the three counties involved are directed to meet, consult, and plan toward whether they will be willing to obtain funds under

1629-415: A dollar of state funding going for [high-speed rail], and would never support a dollar of federal funding". Representative Mimi Walters also made a statement that she was not opposed to electrification, but instead held "serious concerns about the use of taxpayer funds for a project that is tied to high speed rail". The 39-member House and Senate Democratic congressional delegation from California wrote

1810-618: A fleet of EMD GP9s fitted with steam generators; while peak-hour trains required one Train Master or two GP9s, off-peak and weekend trains could more economically use a single GP9. Switching duties were handled by an ALCO RS-32 , or an ALCO S-4 . When Amtrak took over inter-city (main-line) service in 1971, the SP EMD SDP45s then in main-line use were reassigned to Commute service, and three unique passenger-equipped EMD GP40P-2 engines were delivered in 1974, allowing SP to retire all of

1991-683: A groundbreaking ceremony at Millbrae station on July 21, 2017 and completed in April 2024; after testing, inaugural revenue service with EMUs running under the overhead catenary began just over seven years later, on August 11, 2024. The rollout of the EMUs was completed on September 21, 2024. According to Caltrain, benefits accrued by electrifying the tracks and switching to EMUs include improved service times via faster acceleration and shorter headways , and reduced air pollution and noise. In addition, it enabled planning and implementation to proceed for The Portal ,

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2172-741: A higher priority than a future expansion of the system, which included proposals to bring service to Union City across the Dumbarton Rail Bridge as well as increased service to Gilroy and Salinas . Under the latest proposal to revive rail service over the Dumbarton Rail Corridor , diesel multiple units would first be used to establish Dumbarton Rail service as a rail shuttle between a new rail station in Newark and Caltrain's Redwood City station , later extending service from Newark to Union City , and finally followed by

2353-412: A planned railway tunnel to extend service approximately 1 mi (1.6 km) from its existing northern terminus into the rail station shared with California High-Speed Rail under downtown San Francisco's Salesforce Transit Center , as diesel trains cannot serve underground stations. CalMod electrified 51 miles (82 km) of tracks between 4th and King station and Tamien station and installed

2534-450: A published timetable and use dedicated tracks (underground or elevated), whereas commuter rail often shares tracks, technology and the legal framework within mainline railway systems, and uses rolling stocks with more seating and higher speed for comfort on longer city-suburban journeys. However, the classification as a metro or rapid rail can be difficult as both may typically cover a metropolitan area exclusively, run on separate tracks in

2715-913: A quad-track expansion, as it was laying a route parallel with the Southern Pacific. As envisioned in 1909 from plans for the Peninsula Electric, SP announced that it would investigate the electrification of its Peninsula Commute line in September 1921, promising better and more frequent service. Just a few days later, SP cited excessive post-war inflation, taxation, and competition from publicly funded highways as factors making electrification neither "practicable or desirable". Similarly, plans to eliminate all at-grade crossings were announced in 1909, but not carried to completion. As Southern Pacific's franchise to operate on 4th Street in San Jose

2896-518: A rebuttal letter to Secretary Chao on February 3, noting "a material misstatement of fact" in the Republican delegation's letter, which stated that the grant was being sought by the CHSRA, while in reality it is being sought by Caltrain. The rebuttal letter further delineated the separation between the electrification project and CHSRA and urged Secretary Chao to approve the grant by citing past precedent that only one low-rated project failed to receive

3077-510: A schedule rather than fixed intervals, and fewer stations spaced further apart. They primarily serve lower density suburban areas (non inner-city), generally only having one or two stops in a city's central business district, and often share right-of-way with intercity or freight trains. Some services operate only during peak hours and others use fewer departures during off peak hours and weekends. Average speeds are high, often 50 km/h (30 mph) or higher. These higher speeds better serve

3258-657: A signature from the Secretary of Transportation over the prior twenty-year history of the Core Capacity program. The Democratic letter went on to note the infrastructure benefits of the project and the creation of 9,600 jobs, including 550 jobs at a new Stadler USA plant in Salt Lake City. In the end, Secretary Chao heeded the Republican letter's arguments, and deferred the grant in a letter written by FTA Executive Director Matthew Welbes to Caltrain which stated

3439-514: A significant portion of which are nearing the end of their lives. Additionally, electric trainsets are quieter and produce less air pollution than diesel locomotives, and the use of electric trains will lower Caltrain's fuel costs while increasing passenger revenue, due to an expected increase in ridership. Once complete, Caltrain expects to annually reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 176,000 metric tons and increase daily ridership by 21% by 2040. Restoring daily service to Atherton and Broadway stations

3620-471: A southbound train collided with work equipment at milepost 11.6 in San Bruno on Thursday, March 10. The train came to rest near San Felipe Avenue, and spilled fuel caused a fire, which damaged the tracks, locomotive, and passenger car. The work crew had contacted the train dispatcher at 9:50 a.m. (local) to establish exclusive occupancy on track 2 for the three hi-rail work vehicles, then released

3801-631: A switching station approximately halfway along the line, and seven paralleling stations). Land totaling 290,000 sq ft (6.7 acres; 2.7 ha) was acquired from private property owners along the Peninsula Corridor in order to set up safety buffer zones between the overhead contact system and public property; PCJPB authorized eminent domain proceedings in July 2017 in case negotiations broke down. Barriers were installed where road and pedestrian bridges cross over tracks to prevent damage to

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3982-653: A third. After funding was received from the California State Transportation Agency's Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, Caltrain's board unanimously approved the purchase of additional cars from Stadler to increase the fleet from 16 six-car sets to 19 seven-car sets. Balfour Beatty reported in 2019 the completion of construction could be delayed to April 2022 in a report to the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA);

4163-509: A week later, seeking $ 98 million in damages; although the system has been mostly installed, testing is still incomplete. The plan to complete the installation of positive train control (PTC) was presented to PCJPB in early 2018. At the March 1, 2018 meeting, the PCJPB awarded the $ 49.5 million contract to complete PTC to Wabtec . The switch to Wabtec implements I-ETMS technology, which

4344-586: A wide variety of different features and service frequencies, but is often used in contrast to rapid transit or light rail . Some services share similarities with both commuter rail and high-frequency rapid transit ; examples include New Jersey Transit in the U.S., German S-Bahn in some cities, the Réseau Express Régional (RER) in Paris, the S Lines in Milan, many Japanese commuter systems,

4525-445: Is 230 feet (70 m) between poles. A total of ten electrical stations were built: two traction power substations, one switching station, and seven paralleling stations. Each traction power substation (TPS) has a footprint of 150 by 200 feet (46 by 61 m) and contains two 60 MVA transformers to step down supply power (at 115 kV AC) to the 2×25 kV AC required for the messenger/contact and feeder lines. The switching station (SWS)

4706-737: Is a priority because we need an improved rail system that will help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and serve our growing ridership. Not only will the electrification project reduce diesel emissions in this corridor by 96 percent by 2040, but it will also allow Caltrain to provide additional service to more stations, increasing ridership and providing faster service in Silicon Valley from San Francisco to San Jose. —Jim Hartnett, Caltrain Executive Director The Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project (PCEP) electrified

4887-935: Is especially the case for lines operated by Korail , such as the Gyeongui-Jungang Line , the Gyeongchun Line , the Suin-Bundang Line , or the Gyeonggang Line . Even some lines not operated by Korail, such as the AREX Line, the Seohae Line or the Shinbundang Line mostly function as commuter rail. Lastly, even for the "numbered lines" (1–9) of the Seoul Metropolitan Subway which mostly travel in

5068-603: Is heavily used by commuters in the Greater Tokyo Area , who commute between 100 and 200 km (62 and 124 mi) by Shinkansen . To meet the demand of commuters, JR sells commuter discount passes. Before 2021, they operated 16-car bilevel E4 Series Shinkansen trains at rush hour, providing a capacity of 1,600 seats. Several lines in China, such as the Beijing–Tianjin Intercity Railway and

5249-593: Is located near the Redwood Junction, approximately halfway between the two traction power substations. The SWS includes a phase break to electrically isolate the power supplied from each TPS and two 10 MVA autotransformers , in a footprint of 80 by 160 feet (24 by 49 m). The paralleling stations (PS) each maintain system voltage with one or two 10 MVA autotransformers and have a footprint of 40 by 80 feet (12 by 24 m). PS3 in Burlingame

5430-417: Is often a case of asset sweating , by using a single large combined fleet for intercity and regional services. Loco hauled services are usually run in push-pull formation, that is, the train can run with the locomotive at the "front" or "rear" of the train (pushing or pulling). Trains are often equipped with a control cab at the other end of the train from the locomotive, allowing the train operator to operate

5611-1963: Is one suburban rail called the Chittagong Circular Railway . Another suburban railway called the Dhaka Circular Railway is currently proposed. Karachi in Pakistan has a circular railway since 1969. Tehran Metro currently operates the Line 5 commuter line between Tehran and Karaj . Turkey has lines connecting Başkentray , İZBAN , Marmaray and Gaziray . Major metropolitan areas in most European countries are usually served by extensive commuter/suburban rail systems. Well-known examples include BG Voz in Belgrade (Serbia), S-Bahn in Germany, Austria and German-speaking areas of Switzerland, Proastiakos in Greece, RER in France and Belgium, Servizio ferroviario suburbano in Italy, Cercanías and Rodalies ( Catalonia ) in Spain, CP Urban Services in Portugal, Esko in Prague and Ostrava (Czech Republic), HÉV in Budapest (Hungary) and DART in Dublin (Ireland). London has multiple commuter rail routes: The Merseyrail network in Liverpool consists of two commuter rail routes powered by third rail, both of which branch out at one end. At

Peninsula Commute - Misplaced Pages Continue

5792-470: Is operationally more like a typical metro system (frequent trains, an emphasis on standing passengers , short station spacings) than it is like commuter rail in other countries. Japanese commuter rail commonly interline with city center subway lines, with commuter rail trains continuing into the subway network, and then out onto different commuter rail systems on the other side of the city. Many Japanese commuter systems operate various stopping patterns to reduce

5973-526: Is still possible to tell them apart. Some operators, for example Thameslink , focus solely on commuter services. Others, such as Avanti West Coast and LNER , run solely intercity services. Others still, such as GWR and EMR , run a mixture of commuter, regional and intercity services. Some of these operators use different branding for different types of service (for example EMR brands its trains as either "InterCity", "Connect" for London commuter services, and "Regional") but even for those operators that do not,

6154-514: Is the epicenter of the innovation economy and it's a job creation and economic engine. This electrification project, I would argue, is monumental with regard to dealing with [increased traffic and environmental impacts] effectively and efficiently." Parsons Transportation Group was awarded a $ 138 million contract in November 2011 to design and install CBOSS by October 2015. Parsons began physical work on CBOSS in September 2013, starting with

6335-579: Is used in Australia (Sydney for example) to describe the regional trains operating beyond the boundaries of the suburban services, even though some of these "inter-city" services stop all stations similar to German regional services. In this regard, the German service delineations and naming conventions are clearer and better used for academic purposes. Sometimes high-speed rail can serve daily use of commuters. The Japanese Shinkansen high speed rail system

6516-426: Is widely used in many commuter rail trains to increase capacity in rush hours. Carriages are usually not organized to increase seating capacity (although in some trains at least one carriage would feature more doors to facilitate easier boarding and alighting and bench seats so that they can be folded up during rush hour to provide more standing room) even in the case of commuting longer than 50 km and commuters in

6697-644: The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and finally by a regional Joint Powers Board which runs today's passenger trains. Although a line had been proposed in the past, construction on the railroad between San Francisco and San Jose was started in 1860 "by a group of local capitalists of more than ordinary energy and resources" under the auspices of the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad (SF&SJ), and completed in 1863. The Central Pacific Railroad transferred its rights for

6878-511: The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in 1980 to continue service, and it was renamed Caltrain in 1985. Since 1863 the San Francisco Peninsula , the series of towns (and later, cities) between San Francisco and San Jose , has been served by a railroad. The San Francisco and San Jose Railroad first provided freight and passenger service, followed by its successor, the Southern Pacific, and then briefly by

7059-744: The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for a fare increase of 111 percent in August 1974, as fares had increased minimally and ridership, approximately 12,000 passengers per day in 1967 remained flat, despite the fuel crisis. The CPUC authorized a 25% increase in fares in a 3–2 vote on July 12, 1977, effective August 1977. Because the CPUC decision process was so slow, SP President Benjamin Biaggini offered to purchase 1,000 eight-passenger vans and donate them for vanpools in exchange for permanently discontinuing

7240-769: The Chennai MRTS , also covers over 300 stations and carries more than 2.5 million people daily to different areas in Chennai and its surroundings. Other commuter railways in India include the Hyderabad MMTS , Delhi Suburban Railway , Pune Suburban Railway and Lucknow-Kanpur Suburban Railway . In 2020, Government of India approved Bengaluru Suburban Railway to connect Bengaluru and its suburbs. It will be unique and first of its kind in India as it will have metro like facilities and rolling stock. In Bangladesh, there

7421-523: The Daylight service was converted for Commute use in 1965 by adding five-abreast seating (one seat for two, and another seat for three across the aisle) for a total of 122 seats. It was not popular and was sold to the Stockton Terminal & Eastern in 1971. Instead, to increase passenger capacity, SP purchased a third flight of "Gallery" cars, delivered in 1968, which may be distinguished from

Peninsula Commute - Misplaced Pages Continue

7602-656: The Dumbarton Cutoff , opened in 1910 and included the first bridge across the San Francisco Bay Area, between Newark and Menlo Park , saving many miles to Oakland and Sacramento compared to the prior route through San Jose and Santa Clara . The Peninsula Electric Railroad was incorporated around the same time the Dumbarton Cutoff project was launched, and it was suspected that it was controlled by Southern Pacific in preparation for

7783-804: The East Rail line in Hong Kong, and some Australasian suburban networks, such as Sydney Trains . Many commuter rail systems share tracks with other passenger services and freight . In North America, commuter rail sometimes refers only to systems that primarily operate during rush hour and offer little to no service for the rest of the day, with regional rail being used to refer to systems that offer all-day service. Most commuter (or suburban) trains are built to main line rail standards, differing from light rail or rapid transit (metro rail) systems by: Compared to rapid transit (or metro rail), commuter/suburban rail often has lower frequency , following

7964-663: The Feasibility of Upgrading Peninsula Passenger Rail Service ( PERSUS ) report. PERSUS concluded the Peninsula Commute was underutilized and proposed a minor upgrade to improve service (and ridership), or major upgrades to extend service to downtown San Francisco , either by connecting with BART in Daly City , or by extending the SP terminus to the Transbay Terminal ; the ultimate goal was to remodel

8145-551: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announced its intention to sign the grant and reversed Secretary Chao's deferment. Construction formally began two months later. Stadler KISS units began delivery in March 2022, and system testing started in June 2023. The electrification of the line was completed in April 2024, and testing proceeded through the summer 2024. Caltrain began public revenue service using

8326-472: The Foothill Expressway . During peak hours in 1975, Peninsula Commute trains operated with headways as low as three or four minutes; however, with skip-stop and express train service patterns, the minimum wait for riders at a given station would be ten minutes. During off-peak hours that same year, service frequencies dropped to longer than two hours between trains. On several occasions during

8507-597: The Grand Canyon Railway , while others are in use on the Niles Canyon Railway , Sacramento Southern Railroad , Western Railway Museum , among others. SP rolled out Pullman-built " Gallery " cars with two passenger decks in 1955; passengers on the upper deck sat on two balconies along the sides of the car, and the center aisle was open to allow conductors to check tickets on both levels without having to ascend stairs. A Streamline coach from

8688-528: The Greater Tokyo Area , Seoul metropolitan area , and Jabodetabek area have to stand in the train for more than an hour. Currently there are not many examples of commuter rail in Africa . Metrorail operates in the major cities of South Africa , and there are some commuter rail services in Algeria , Botswana , Kenya , Morocco , Egypt and Tunisia . In Algeria, SNTF operates commuter rail lines between

8869-569: The Guangshen Railway have more frequent metro-like service. The two MTR lines which are owned and formerly operated by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation ( East Rail line and Tuen Ma line which is integrated from the former West Rail line and Ma On Shan line in 2021), then the "KCR" ), and MTR's own Tung Chung line connect the new towns in New Territories and the city centre Kowloon together with frequent intervals, and some New Territories-bound trains terminate at intermediate stations, providing more frequent services in Kowloon and

9050-422: The Jakarta city center with surrounding cities and sub-urbans in Banten and West Java provinces, including Depok , Bogor , Tangerang , Serpong , Rangkasbitung , Bekasi and Cikarang . In July 2015, KRL Commuterline served more than 850,000 passengers per day, which is almost triple of the 2011 figures, but still less than 3.5% of all Jabodetabek commutes. Other commuter rail systems in Indonesia include

9231-402: The Metro Surabaya Commuter Line , Commuter Line Bandung , KAI Commuter Yogyakarta–Solo Line , Kedung Sepur , and the Sri Lelawangsa . In the Philippines, the Philippine National Railways has two commuter rail systems currently operational; the PNR Metro Commuter Line in the Greater Manila Area and the PNR Bicol Commuter in the Bicol Region . A new commuter rail line in Metro Manila,

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9412-414: The Northeast Corridor ) and portions of the New Jersey Transit commuter rail system. The 2×25 kV autotransformer electrification system includes a third energized parallel negative feeder wire which helps control electromagnetic field propagation. The feeder wire is electrified at the same voltage and frequency, but is shifted 180° out of phase so the voltage difference between the contact wire and

9593-405: The North–South Commuter Railway , is currently under construction. Its North section is set to be partially opened by 2021. In Malaysia, there are two commuter services operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu . They are the KTM Komuter that serves Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley area , and the KTM Komuter Northern Sector that serves Greater Penang , Perak , Kedah and Perlis in

9774-528: The Shanghai–Nanjing High-Speed Railway , serve a similar role with many more under construction or planned. In South Korea, some sections of the high-speed rail network are also heavily used by commuters, such as the section between Gwangmyeong Station and Seoul Station on the KTX network ( Gyeongbu HSR Line ), or the section between Dongtan Station and Suseo station on the SRT Line. The high-speed services linking Zürich , Bern and Basel in Switzerland (200 km/h (120 mph)) have brought

9955-463: The Surface Transportation Board to exempt it from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines was denied. Atherton reiterated its opposition to electrification on the basis that overhead wires would require removing a significant number of heritage trees, and city representatives asserted that "newer, cleaner, more efficient diesel trains" should supplant plans for "century-old catenary electrical line technology". Atherton mayor Rick De Golia

10136-424: The Underground and the Overground , Elizabeth line , Thameslink along with other commuter rail operators , Madrid's Metro and Cercanías , Barcelona's Metro and Rodalies , and Tokyo's subway and the JR lines along with various privately owned and operated commuter rail systems. Regional rail usually provides rail services between towns and cities, rather than purely linking major population hubs in

10317-426: The Yamanote Line , Keihin Tohoku Line , Chūō–Sōbu Line services arguably are more akin to rapid transit with frequent stops, simple stopping patterns (relative to other JR East lines) no branching services and largely serving the inner suburbs; other services along the Chūō Rapid Line , Sōbu Rapid Line / Yokosuka Line , Ueno–Tokyo Line , Shōnan–Shinjuku Line etc. are mid-distance services from suburban lines in

10498-501: The "General Service" class 4-8-4s . After gaining experience with diesel engines in main-line service, SP began testing various diesel locomotives for the Peninsula Commute, finally selecting the Fairbanks-Morse H-24-66 "Train Master" because the relatively short distance between stations meant acceleration (and power) was the paramount priority. The final steam-led Peninsula Commute train departed San Francisco for San Jose on January 22, 1957, led by 4-8-4 No. 4430. However, 4-6-2 No. 2472

10679-401: The 1930s and 1940s, displacing 4-6-0s, and more 4-6-2s were made available for the Commute by the introduction of 4-8-2s in main-line service; by 1945, the 4-8-2s were displacing 4-6-2s on peak-hour trains, 4-6-2s were moved to off-peak service, and 4-6-0s were used on weekend trains. By the early 1950s, peak-hour trains were pulling up to seventeen cars in a single consist, requiring the use of

10860-681: The 1955/57 Gallery cars by a different window configuration. "Gallery" and "Subs" could be mixed to make up multi-car consists. In 1978, a Commute train had from one to nine cars, and were always led by a locomotive, meaning the locomotive needed to be turned at each terminal. With the introduction of new state-owned locomotives and rolling stock in 1985 capable of push-pull service , locomotives no longer needed to be turned. Peninsula residents clamored for lower fares as early as 1908; SP officials replied by pointing out rates were already cheaper than similar services in New York , Boston , Philadelphia , Chicago , and Baltimore . A discount 10-ride ticket

11041-405: The 1960s and 1970s, SP attempted to discontinue the commute service due to increasing deficits and stagnant ridership. Ridership was 11,500 daily passengers on 22 trains in 1970, compared to 12,000 daily passengers in 1967 and 10,000 daily passengers in 1946. The sole daily commute train which utilized the Mayfield Cutoff between Palo Alto and Vasona was discontinued in 1964 with the construction of

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11222-486: The 2009 FRA waiver, which imposed certain conditions on mixed traffic; and the 2012 memorandum of understanding with CHSRA, which resulted in a "blended" system to use the existing twin-track line as much as possible. The 2012 Blended Operations report concluded a new 8-mile (13 km) quad-track overtake section would allow Caltrain and CHSRA to coexist on the Peninsula Corridor with up to ten trains per peak hour: six Caltrain and four high-speed rail trains. Peak load on

11403-402: The 300 km/h (186 mph) Nuremberg–Ingolstadt high-speed railway . The regional trains Stockholm – Uppsala , Stockholm– Västerås , Stockholm– Eskilstuna and Gothenburg – Trollhättan in Sweden reach 200 km/h (120 mph) and have many daily commuters. In Great Britain , the HS1 domestic services between London and Ashford runs at a top speed of 225 km/h, and in peak hours

11584-420: The Bay Area. By February 2017, the electrification project had secured $ 1.3 billion in state, local, and regional funding, with the remaining funding gap to be closed by a $ 647 million grant from the FTA's Core Capacity program. The grant had undergone a two-year review process starting in November 2015 under the Obama Administration and received a "medium-high" rating from the FTA in August 2016, and

11765-689: The CBOSS project from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). APTA noted that Caltrain was not effectively managing the project schedule and cost because of generally poor communication between Caltrain's project management and Parsons, and Caltrain's project manager did not have the technical experience or authority to resolve technical and contractual issues with Parsons. In February 2017, Caltrain terminated its contract with Parsons for failure to perform on time and budget and announced potential litigation. Parsons filed suit on February 22, saying delays were due to changing client requirements and circumstances beyond their control. Caltrain filed suit

11946-408: The CPUC petition, Assemblymember Lou Papan wrote Assembly Bill 1853, which allowed local transit districts served by the Peninsula Commute to purchase tickets from SP at face value and sell them to riders at a discount, subsidizing passengers. AB 1853 also allowed the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to negotiate with SP for operation of the commuter rail service and the purchase of

12127-467: The CalMod project, including the positive train control system (dubbed "CBOSS"), electrification of the infrastructure, and elimination of some grade crossings. Under the agreement, the Peninsula Corridor would become eligible for high-speed rail money because the planned routing to San Francisco would use the same lines. This was one of two investments in "bookend" electrification projects, which were intended to upgrade existing passenger rail services near

12308-448: The Central Business Districts (CBDs) of these three cities within 1 hour of each other. This has resulted in unexpectedly high demand for new commuter trips between the three cities and a corresponding increase in suburban rail passengers accessing the high-speed services at the main city-centre stations ( Hauptbahnhof ). The Regional-Express commuter service between Munich and Nuremberg in Germany runs at 200 km/h (120 mph) on

12489-402: The East Rail Line share tracks with intercity trains to mainland China . The three KCR lines are integrated into the MTR network since 2008 and most passengers do not need to exit and re-enter the system through separate fare gates and purchase separate tickets to transfer between such lines and the rest of the network (the exceptions are between the Tuen Ma line's East Tsim Sha Tsui station and

12670-511: The Electrification Project to be a success. Atherton sued CHSRA again in December 2016, stating that using bond money intended for high-speed rail for CalMod was a material change in usage and therefore was unconstitutional because such a change would require voter approval first. In response, the California Legislature allowed the funding to be redirected by passing Assembly Bill No. 1889, which had been championed by Assemblymember Kevin Mullin in 2015. Mullin noted "this entire Caltrain corridor

12851-459: The FTA needed "additional time to complete review of this significant commitment of Federal resources". Caltrain had expected Secretary Chao to approve the grant and sign the grant agreement by March 1, which is normally a pro forma step performed after the thirty-day comment period for a highly rated project, and had already awarded construction contracts. Balfour Beatty Construction and Stadler Rail had already begun preparations to upgrade

13032-568: The Foothill Expressway. In 1971, when Amtrak took over long distance passenger operations, Southern Pacific's extended commute train to Monterey , the " Del Monte ", was discontinued. Some SP passenger locomotives were sold to Amtrak and the remainder were transferred to Peninsula Commute service, which continued to operate. In 1975, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) published

13213-493: The Netherlands carry many commuters, while their equipment, range, and speeds are similar to those of commuter trains in some larger countries. The United Kingdom has a privatised rail system, with different routes and services covered by different private operators. The distinction between commuter and intercity rail is not as clear as it was before privatisation (when InterCity existed as a brand of its own), but usually it

13394-484: The Peninsula Commute ran on September 28, 1953, using SP Locomotive No. 5325, an EMD SD7 equipped with a steam boiler; it left the shortly thereafter, as the SD7 was unable to match the performance of the 4-6-2 steam locomotives then being used for off-peak and weekend service. SP began testing Fairbanks-Morse (F-M) "Train Master" H-24-66 locomotives in late 1953, and purchased two of the four demonstrator models for use on

13575-487: The Peninsula Commute service. The strange result in the decision of the majority is a travesty of justice. Ironically, it is so bad it is likely to even jeopardize the interest of the one group who seems to benefit, that is the present SP commuters who are being so heavily subsidized by others. Danger to commute interest comes from the real possibility that the ICC may require abandonment of train commute service because it finds

13756-629: The Peninsula Commute service. Because the existing "Suburban" and "Harriman" passenger cars then prevalent in the fleet took steam heat from the locomotive boiler, SP passenger diesel engines were equipped with steam generators . The diesel era of the Peninsula Commute began on August 25, 1954, when two Train Masters went into test service. The Train Masters, which used the unique opposed-piston two-stroke 38 8-1/8 prime mover developed by F-M for American diesel-electric submarines in World War II, were

13937-627: The SP fleet continued in leased service to the nascent state-run CalTrain service until the state of California ordered new EMD F40PH locomotives, which were delivered in 1985. Shortly after the introduction of the F40PHs in 1985, a brake issue was discovered, forcing the F40PHs to briefly run in tandem with an SP locomotive. The earlier wooden and steel-framed coaches were replaced with the all-steel 72-seat "Harriman" coaches starting in approximately 1900. SP introduced slightly longer all-steel 96-seat "Suburban" coaches in 1924, and continued to run them until

14118-1047: The Santa Clara Drill Track in June 2023, between the Santa Clara and College Park stations. The electrification of the line was completed in April 2024. On August 10, 2024, Caltrain concluded its tests of the Stadler KISS on the line with a non-revenue special run from 4th and King to Diridon Station and back. Caltrain Board Chair Dev Davis, Governor Gavin Newsom , Federal Railroad Administration chair Amit Bose , U.S. Senator Alex Padilla , U.S. Representatives Nancy Pelosi , Kevin Mullin and Anna Eshoo , California State Transportation Agency chief Toks Omishakin, noted transit advocates and state legislators Phil Ting and Scott Wiener , and

14299-547: The Stadler EMUs on August 11, 2024, with two trainsets, adding more gradually until fully transitioning to all-electric trainsets on September 21. Some of the newer diesel locomotives and conventional passenger coaches will be retained for service south of Tamien. Commuter railroad service on the San Francisco Peninsula was inaugurated in 1863 as the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad and purchased by Southern Pacific (SP) in 1870. SP announced that it would investigate

14480-565: The Train Masters by 1975. The fleet of EMD GP9s, SDP45s, and GP40P-2s were used by SP to run the Peninsula Commute. In 1978, SP pulled the SDP45s from Peninsula Commute service to comply with an ICC order to return freight cars. Amtrak leased fifteen GE P30CH locomotives to SP to keep the commuter rail service running, but none of the GE engines were equipped with steam generators. After 1980,

14661-764: The Tsuen Wan line's Tsim Sha Tsui station . In Taiwan, the Western line in the Taipei - Taoyuan Metropolitan Area, Taichung Metropolitan Area and Tainan - Kaohsiung Metropolitan Area as well as the Neiwan - Liujia line in the Hsinchu Area are considered commuter rail. In South Korea, the Seoul Metropolitan Subway includes a total of 22 lines, and some of its lines are suburban lines. This

14842-464: The US and Melbourne and Adelaide in Australia, use broad gauge track. Metro rail and rapid transit usually cover smaller inner-urban areas within 12 to 20 km (7 to 12 mi) of city centers, with shorter stop spacing, use rolling stocks with larger standing spaces, lower top speed and higher acceleration, designed for short-distance travel. They also run more frequently, to a headway rather than

15023-474: The United States, to electrify the line at 25 kV AC, replace signaling systems, construct two traction power substations , one switching substation, and seven paralleling substations. The Swiss firm Stadler was awarded a $ 551 million contract to deliver 96 of their " KISS " bilevel electric multiple unit cars, formed into 16 six-car trains. Under the contract, Caltrain holds an option to increase

15204-588: The balance expected in future years. Secretary Chao claimed she could not sign the grant without the full grant being budgeted, which was disputed by Caltrain and both California Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris . On May 22, the FTA announced its intent to sign the funding grant, restoring the final piece of funding for the electrification project. The official grant was finally signed on May 23. A new weekday schedule designed to allow time for construction became effective on April 10, 2017. The weekend schedule

15385-515: The capital Algiers and its southern and eastern suburbs. They also serve to connect Algiers ' main universities to each other. The Dar es Salaam commuter rail offers intracity services in Dar es Salaam , Tanzania. In Botswana, the ( Botswana Railways ) "BR Express" has a commuter train between Lobatse and Gaborone . In Japan, commuter rail systems have extensive network and frequent service and are heavily used. In many cases, Japanese commuter rail

15566-522: The centre, and often feature purpose-built rolling stock. The fact that the terminology is not standardised across countries (even across English-speaking countries) further complicates matters. This distinction is most easily made when there are two (or more) systems such as New York's subway and the LIRR and Metro-North Railroad , Paris' Métro and RER along with Transilien , Washington D.C.'s Metro along with its MARC and VRE , London's tube lines of

15747-534: The cities of South San Francisco and San Bruno. Within each work area, the first two months of activity involved tree pruning and removal, followed by three to five months of construction of the foundations for the overhead contact system poles. Once completed, construction of the electrical station(s) (if present) and pole and wire installation work in parallel and take about a year. By January 2022, all foundations were complete. Pole and wiring work in Segments 3 and 4

15928-450: The city and county of San Francisco , SamTrans , and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority . 32% of the funding, or $ 647 million, will come from Federal Transit Administration 's Core Capacity grant, with the funding agreement approved on May 22, 2017, after a three-month delay. An additional $ 600 million comes from Proposition 1A funds that authorized the construction of high-speed rail, $ 113 million from cap and trade revenue, and

16109-401: The city-owned Corporation Yard. The PCJPB-owned right-of-way has been divided into four construction segments. From the north, the segments are arranged as: Segments are further divided into work areas, indicated by brackets in the list above. Work began in Segments 2 and 4 and proceeded from north to south within each segment before moving on to Segments 1 and 3. The first work area was in

16290-765: The construction of the right-of-way between San Jose and Sacramento to the Western Pacific Railroad (WPRR, which was founded by the same members that had founded the SF&SJ) in late 1862. In December 1865, the Southern Pacific Railroad Company (SP) was incorporated to build a rail line between San Francisco and San Diego . By the end of 1868, it was revealed the Big Four of the Central Pacific consisting of Stanford , Huntington , Hopkins , and Crocker had

16471-487: The contact wire is 23 feet (7.0 m) to accommodate freight and non-electrified passenger rail service. Poles are nominally spaced 180 to 200 feet (55 to 61 m) apart, but can be reduced to 75 feet (23 m) for the tightest-radius bends (at Sierra Point in Brisbane , and just north of San Jose ). Typical pole spacing in bends is 120 to 150 feet (37 to 46 m), and for straight sections of track, maximum spacing

16652-461: The delay "counter to Mr. Trump's campaign promises of increased infrastructure spending." Henry Grabar noted the grant deferral could be "an early test of a simmering fear that the state's outspoken political opposition to the Trump administration might come with a price". San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo met with Department of Transportation officials, urging them to upgrade a system that "was built under

16833-666: The dense parts of Seoul, some track sections extend far outside of the city, and operate large sections at ground level, such as on the Line 1 , Line 3 and Line 4 . In Busan, the Donghae Line , while part of the Busan Metro system, mostly functions as a commuter rail line. In Indonesia , the KRL Commuterline is the largest commuter rail system in the country, serving the Greater Jakarta . It connects

17014-478: The electrical wires. New electric trainsets were purchased for use on the new electrified segment, while service from Tamien to Gilroy, which is not planned to be electrified, continue to be served with existing diesel locomotives. The second part of the CalMod project is a positive train control system, "CBOSS" (Communications Based Overlay Signal System), which is designed to meet federal safety requirements and as

17195-426: The electrification of its line in September 1921, promising better and more frequent service. However, SP cited excessive post-war inflation, taxation, and competition from publicly funded highways as factors making electrification neither "practicable or desirable". In the early 1950s, SP began introducing diesel locomotives on the route. By 1977, Southern Pacific were facing rapidly declining ridership and petitioned

17376-563: The electrification project did not hinge on the high-speed rail project's success, and was thus independent from the latter. Indeed, at bottom [California High-Speed Rail] is providing funds to Caltrain while hoping that the rest of CHSRA's plans work out well enough that, someday, it can bring the blended system to fruition. But if CHSRA is unable to do that, Caltrain will still have a successful project. Put another way, HSR may need to have Caltrain's Electrification Project completed. But Caltrain does not need to have High Speed Rail completed for

17557-564: The electrification project, its future fell into doubt. In response to the grant deferral, various local officials traveled to Washington D.C. to lobby federal officials to release the money. Editorials in local and national newspapers urged approval of the grant, including the Sacramento Bee , which called the deferral "a petty attack", the East Bay Times , a noted CHSRA detractor, and The New York Times , which called

17738-541: The entire 51-mile (82 km) right-of-way owned by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (PCJPB), which extends from the San Francisco terminus at 4th and King to a power substation south of Tamien Station . New electrical infrastructure includes installation of approximately 130 to 140 miles (210 to 230 km) of 25 kV 60 Hz single-phase AC overhead contact lines and ten new power stations (two traction power stations,

17919-494: The estimated $ 1.5 billion needed for CalMod. However, since the bonds had not yet been issued, the money was not available, and a prior environmental impact report that had been issued for electrification in 2009 needed to be reissued before construction could start. In September 2012, the California Transportation Commission released $ 39.8 million to modernize CBOSS. A month later,

18100-451: The exclusive occupancy at 9:58; the collision occurred at 10:33. According to the locomotive's event data recorder, the last recorded speed of the southbound train was 63 mph (101 km/h), but the engineer had pulled the emergency brake upon sighting the work vehicles. Fourteen people were injured in the collision and fire, but none of the injuries were life-threatening; the fire was extinguished by 11:14 a.m. The train remained on

18281-523: The existing tracks and build electrical trainsets, respectively. Caltrain negotiated an emergency four-month contract extension at a potential cost of $ 20 million. Under the preliminary budget proposal released in mid-March 2017, the United States Department of Transportation 's Capital Investment Grant Program would be eliminated, although approved projects would continue to be funded. Since Secretary Chao had withheld grant approval for

18462-613: The expected funding from high-speed rail bonds rose to $ 1.5 billion, which alongside electrification provided funding for the planned Downtown Extension (DTX), which would move the northern terminus of the Caltrain line from 4th and King to the Salesforce Transit Center . CHSRA approved the issue of bonds in December 2016. Critics of high-speed rail felt the slower trips and reduced service caused by "blending"

18643-477: The feeder wire is always 50kV. The choice of a 2×25 kV autotransformer system means more traction power facilities are required in total, but also requires fewer traction power substations. Contact wire heights vary between 16 and 23 feet (4.9 and 7.0 m), depending on overhead clearance required, with the messenger wire another 2 to 5 feet (0.61 to 1.52 m) above that, and pole heights vary between 30 and 50 feet (9.1 and 15.2 m). Nominal clearance under

18824-583: The first feasibility study detailing the possibility of electrifying the railroad between San Francisco and San Jose. The 1992 Feasibility Study proposed replacing the existing diesel-electric locomotives with either a fleet of EMD AEM-7 electric locomotives to move the existing gallery passenger cars or Metro North Budd M-2/M-4 EMUs. The primary benefits of an electrified railway would be improvements in air quality, noise, and acceleration, but would also save on other ancillary costs, such as lubricating oil, cooling water, maintenance, and refueling. Because of

19005-471: The former BR 's Regional Railways , France's TER ( Transport express régional ), Germany's Regionalexpress and Regionalbahn , and South Korea's Tonggeun and Mugunghwa-ho services. In some European countries, the distinction between commuter trains and long-distance/intercity trains is subtle, due to the relatively short distances involved. For example, so-called " intercity " trains in Belgium and

19186-426: The funding deferral, saying afterward that he was "cautiously optimistic" that the money would be released. On April 30, legislators in the U.S. Congress released the proposed 2017 federal budget, which included partial funding for the electrification project, but restricts its distribution unless Secretary Chao signs off on the grant. The proposed budget includes $ 100 million of the $ 647 million grant, with

19367-734: The inner parts of the network. Most such trains run on the local standard gauge track. Some systems may run on a narrower or broader gauge. Examples of narrow gauge systems are found in Japan, Indonesia , Malaysia , Thailand , Taiwan, Switzerland, in the Brisbane ( Queensland Rail 's City network ) and Perth ( Transperth ) systems in Australia, in some systems in Sweden, and on the Genoa-Casella line in Italy. Some countries and regions, including Finland , India, Pakistan, Russia , Brazil and Sri Lanka, as well as San Francisco ( BART ) in

19548-496: The installation of a fiber optic line along the Caltrain right-of-way. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) approved Caltrain's plans in 2014 and Caltrain noted that CBOSS was due to enter revenue service by the end of 2015. Because Caltrain had multiple goals for CBOSS, including increased safety, improved operational efficiency, and ensured interoperability with other rail providers (Caltrain shares tracks with Union Pacific, Altamont Corridor Express, and Amtrak), implementation

19729-511: The introduction of new state-owned equipment in 1985. The 1980 lease agreement between SP and the State of California showed a total of 83 passenger cars in revenue service: 27 operable "Suburbans", 10 "Suburbans" suitable for parts (nearly all "Suburbans" dating back to 1924), and 46 "Gallery" cars. As of 2017, several "Harriman" and "Suburban" coaches survive (including all 27 operable "Suburbans"); thirteen "Suburbans" are still in revenue service for

19910-428: The line began as early as 1992 when the California Department of Transportation conducted an early feasibility study. For two decades, the project lay dormant due to lack of funding until Caltrain agreed to share its tracks with the CHSRA, which was looking for a route for the legally mandated San Jose–San Francisco segment. The Authority agreed to partially fund the electrification project in exchange for rights to share

20091-633: The line through a series of five tunnels built along the shoreline of the San Francisco Bay Area . This saved approximately three miles and seventeen minutes compared to the prior route, which veered to the west around San Bruno Mountain . The Bayshore Cutoff also eliminated the use of helper engines to bring trains over the mountain. The second, the Mayfield Cutoff , opened in 1908 to provide service to western Santa Clara Valley cities such as Los Altos and Los Gatos . The third,

20272-464: The line, then electrify it. By itself, electrification was not projected to significantly improve service, and the high estimated cost of electrification and its lower priority meant electrification would be deferred. Some of the money to accomplish the rehabilitation and enhancement of existing track came from funds that had been intended for the downtown extension. Steve Schmidt, a councilman from Menlo Park , argued that electrification instead should be

20453-586: The longer distances involved. Some services include express services which skip some stations in order to run faster and separate longer distance riders from short-distance ones. The general range of commuter trains' travel distance varies between 15 and 200 km (10 and 125 miles), but longer distances can be covered when the trains run between two or several cities (e.g. S-Bahn in the Ruhr area of Germany). Distances between stations may vary, but are usually much longer than those of urban rail systems. In city centres

20634-564: The main line of the U.S. commuter railroad Caltrain , which serves cities in the San Francisco Peninsula and Silicon Valley . The electrification included installation of a 25 kV catenary system over the double-tracked line from San Francisco to San Jose, and acquisition of new rolling stock, consisting of Stadler KISS double-decker electric multiple units (EMU). Caltrain is transitioning from its legacy push-pull trains hauled by diesel-electric locomotives , most of which have been in service since 1985. Construction for CalMod began with

20815-524: The mayors of San Francisco and San Jose, London Breed and Matt Mahan , respectively, were among the passengers. Revenue service began the next day, and is scheduled to ramp up to its highest frequency by September 21. Funding for the originally-$ 1.9 billion project comes from a mix of funds contributed by the California Department of Transportation , California High-Speed Rail Authority , California cap and trade revenue, Bay Area Air Quality Management District , Metropolitan Transportation Commission ,

20996-487: The messenger wire. The contact wire is nearly parallel to the ground, and supplies traction current to the pantograph(s) of an electric train. Both the messenger wire and the contact wire are energized with single-phase alternating current at 25 kV with a frequency of 60 Hz. This allows the OCS to be used for both Caltrain and future California High-speed Rail service, and this electrical configuration matches that of Amtrak (on

21177-513: The money to the Third Street Light Rail Project . Mike Nevin , PCJPB member from San Mateo County noted that while the downtown extension "would have enhanced particularly the electrification of the system", lack of it would not cause Caltrain to collapse. Instead, Caltrain studied a list of potential upgrades and went on to publish a draft Rapid Rail Study on October 1, 1998, which prioritized capital improvements to

21358-652: The mornings and 3 minutes (traveling south) in the evenings. After the war, a May 1946 railroad strike displaced approximately 10,000 train passengers onto highways, causing "historic" traffic jams along the Bayshore Highway , with commute times for some automobile drivers to balloon from 30 minutes to 75 minutes going from Burlingame to San Francisco, a distance of approximately 19 miles (31 km). In 1954, surveys comparing traffic on Bayshore Highway with train traffic concluded that just over half of all commuters to San Francisco passing through Brisbane were taking

21539-481: The most cost-effective alternative, since the gallery cars, which had been built in 1985, were then relatively new and could be reused. Due to funding shortages, the project was postponed for the next two decades. In 1997, Mayor Willie Brown canceled the appropriation for San Francisco's share of costs to extend rail service to downtown, saying Peninsula residents "ought to fund the whole project" since it would mainly benefit their commute. San Francisco instead applied

21720-463: The most powerful diesel-electric locomotives available at a nominal 2,400 hp (1,800 kW), and had performance comparable to the 4-8-4s for peak service: while the starting tractive effort of the "General Service" class 4-8-4 ranged from 63,230 to 66,330 lbf (281.3 to 295.1 kN), the Train Master was rated at 79,500 lbf (354 kN). The Train Masters were complemented by

21901-543: The near future, and facilities and options should be preserved for long-range expansion and modernization. MTC passed Resolution No. 411 in 1977, proposing a three-phased approach: In a December 1977 public hearing before the Assembly Committee on Transportation held in San Jose, SP executive Alan DeMoss testified that "rail commute service should no longer be cross-subsidized by other railroad activities" and offered $ 8 million to help purchase buses to replace

22082-413: The need to turn locomotives around at terminals), upgraded stations, introduced shuttle buses to nearby employers, and renamed the operation Caltrain . Southern Pacific continued to operate the service under contract to Caltrans. However, ridership continued to decline and the farebox recovery ratio fell to 34.3% in the 1983–84 fiscal year, which violated the minimum of 40% set by AB 1010 in 1982. By 1988,

22263-973: The northern region of Peninsular Malaysia. In Thailand, the Greater Bangkok Commuter rail and the Airport Rail Link serve the Bangkok Metropolitan Region . The SRT Red Lines , a new commuter line in Bangkok, started construction in 2009. It opened in 2021. Another commuter rail system in Southeast Asia is the Yangon Circular Railway in Myanmar . In India, commuter rail systems are present in major cities and form an important part of people's daily lives. Mumbai Suburban Railway ,

22444-1017: The number expected to rise even higher upon full completion of the Acharnes Railway Center . Eskişehir-Ankara and Konya-Ankara high speed train routes serve as high speed commuter trains in Turkey. Commuter/suburban trains are usually optimized for maximum passenger volume, in most cases without sacrificing too much comfort and luggage space, though they seldom have all the amenities of long-distance trains. Cars may be single- or double-level , and aim to provide seating for all. Compared to intercity trains, they have less space, fewer amenities and limited baggage areas. Commuter rail trains are usually composed of multiple units , which are self-propelled, bidirectional, articulated passenger rail cars with driving motors on each (or every other) bogie . Depending on local circumstances and tradition they may be powered either by diesel engines located below

22625-533: The oldest suburban rail system in Asia, carries more than 7.24 million commuters on a daily basis which constitutes more than half of the total daily passenger capacity of the Indian Railways itself. Kolkata Suburban Railway , one of the largest suburban railway networks in the world, consists of more than 450 stations and carries more than 3.5 million commuters per day. The Chennai Suburban Railway along with

22806-568: The operation of Caltrain in 1992. The PCJB then contracted operations to Amtrak , ending 122 years of operation by Southern Pacific. TransitAmerica Services took over operations in 2012. SP took over the Peninsula Corridor route from the SF&SJ in 1870 and assumed control of the existing set of locomotives and passenger cars, which were mainly 4-4-0 steam engines and 36-passenger wooden railcars. As SP began introducing diesel locomotives on its long-distance ( main-line ) routes, steam engines were moved into Peninsula Commute service, culminating in

22987-501: The order with an additional 96 cars in the future. The contract also marks the first American design win for the Stadler KISS. Stadler broke ground for a new factory near the Salt Lake City International Airport on October 13, 2017. The first trains are scheduled for delivery in August 2019. In April 2016, after missing the initial October 2015 deadline, Caltrain requested a third party review of

23168-718: The other, the Northern line continues out of the city centre to a mainline rail interchange, while the Wirral line has a city-centre loop. Caltrain Modernization Program The Caltrain Modernization Program ( CalMod ), sometimes referred to as the Caltrain Electrification Project , was a $ 2.44 billion project which added a positive train control (PTC) system and electrified

23349-648: The outer reaches of Greater Tokyo through operating into these lines to form a high frequency corridor though central Tokyo. Other commuter rail routes in Japan include: Commuter rail systems have been inaugurated in several cities in China such as Beijing , Shanghai , Zhengzhou , Wuhan , Changsha and the Pearl River Delta . With plans for large systems in northeastern Zhejiang , Jingjinji , and Yangtze River Delta areas. The level of service varies considerably from line to line ranging high to near high speeds. More developed and established lines such as

23530-423: The passenger compartment ( diesel multiple units ) or by electricity picked up from third rails or overhead lines ( electric multiple units ). Multiple units are almost invariably equipped with control cabs at both ends, which is why such units are so frequently used to provide commuter services, due to the associated short turn-around time. Locomotive hauled services are used in some countries or locations. This

23711-459: The physical infrastructure with the overarching goal of expanding rail service. At that time, Caltrain was reporting daily ridership of approximately 25,000 passengers, a 40-year high. The 1998 Rapid Rail Study assumed that ridership would increase in direct proportion to improving travel times. The study concluded that in order to meet the five goals presented in the 20-Year Strategic Plan of 1997, Caltrain should first rehabilitate and enhance

23892-485: The planned CHSRA San Francisco and Los Angeles terminals to allow high-speed rail to share infrastructure. In March 2012, Caltrain and other local agencies signed a memorandum of understanding with the CHSRA that detailed the blended plan, which received approval from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission a week later. Under the memorandum, $ 706 million from the high-speed rail bond would be matched by state, regional, and local transportation funds to pay for

24073-457: The present intolerable situation constitutes an undue burden on interstate commerce. From our involvement in the case we have seen nothing that could be used to prove that the ICC is wrong in taking this unfortunate action. On May 6, 1977, SP formally filed a petition with the CPUC (Application No. 57289) to discontinue the commuter operation due to ongoing losses. At that time, SP was running 44 trains

24254-427: The presidency of Abraham Lincoln ". Additionally, more than 120 Silicon Valley business leaders sent a letter to Secretary Chao, asking her to explain "the last-minute attempt to derail two decades of work". In early March, California Governor Jerry Brown sent a letter to Secretary Chao, asking to discuss the funding grant, and subsequently met with Secretary Chao and Representative McCarthy, urging them to reconsider

24435-523: The project "an irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars". The Sacramento Bee pointed out that despite regularly soliciting campaign funds from Silicon Valley business leaders, Representative and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy , the author of the Republican letter to Secretary Chao, was targeting a project that benefited the region directly. Another Republican signatory, Representative Devin Nunes ,

24616-469: The projected 12-month delay was blamed on the unexpected presence of underground utilities. In June 2021, Caltrain announced that electric service would be delayed to late 2024 due to supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic , issues with the signal system, and "unforeseen conditions under Caltrain's tracks". In February 2022, the last foundation required for the new overhead catenary system

24797-650: The provisions of the Urban Mass Transportation Act and their own resources to meet the operating deficit of Southern Pacific's commute and transit operations." Since the CPUC had not taken action on the petition 120 days after the filing, SP filed another petition to discontinue service with the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) on November 17, 1977. Although the CPUC denied the SP application on April 19, 1978, jurisdiction had already passed to ICC. In response to

24978-459: The relatively close spacing between stops, the improved acceleration using electric locomotives compared to the existing diesel-electric locomotives would cut transit time between San Francisco and San Jose by up to twelve minutes, and using EMUs would cut the time over the same distance by up to 23 minutes, assuming the use of ten-car trainsets. The 1992 Feasibility Study recommended the use of electric locomotives and 25 kV AC overhead lines as

25159-406: The rest coming from local and regional sources. The delays announced in June 2021 will add $ 333 million to the cost for a total of $ 2.3 billion. Of the increase, $ 161 million is known and allocated costs with a funding plan, while $ 172 million is unallocated costs. An additional cost increase of $ 162 million, for a total cost of $ 2.44 billion, was announced in December 2021. Modernizing Caltrain

25340-531: The right-of-way between Daly City and San Bruno , which had only seen occasional freight traffic since the completion of the Bayshore Cutoff in 1907. Preservation of rail service was seen as critical to ensuring traffic would continue to flow, as both the Bayshore Freeway and I-280 were nearing capacity; and to preserve air quality in the region. The right-of-way between Daly City and San Bruno

25521-419: The rise of automobile use, falling from a peak of 9.2 million annual boardings in 1954 (approximately 16,000 weekday riders) to 4.4 million in 1977 (approximately 7,000 weekday riders). Service to Los Gatos ended in 1959; the railroad noted the ease of reaching Vasona, the new end of the line, via automobile. The Mayfield Branch saw its last service in 1964, with its right of way reused in construction of

25702-661: The service to be closer to transit than commuter rail, which entailed a reduction in headways so that passengers would have to wait less than fifteen minutes between trains during weekday daylight hours. However, by that time the Peninsula Commute was no longer profitable: operating deficits were rising, from US$ 670,000 (equivalent to $ 6,582,000 in 2023) in 1964 to over US$ 1,000,000 (equivalent to $ 8,760,000 in 2023) by 1968, US$ 5,300,000 (equivalent to $ 30,010,000 in 2023) by 1975, and US$ 9,000,000 (equivalent to $ 48,190,000 in 2023) just one year later in 1976 according to an independent review, which prompted SP to petition

25883-513: The service was the only operating commuter rail in California. The state felt that regional control of the Peninsula Commute was more appropriate, as it was primarily a benefit to the region, not the state. Thus, the Peninsula Corridor right-of-way was purchased for US$ 202,000,000 (equivalent to $ 451,900,000 in 2023) from SP in 1991 by the newly formed Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (PCJPB), who subsequently assumed responsibility for

26064-600: The service. However, both samTrans and the Santa Clara County Transit District stated they would not be able to operate that bus service; it was estimated that a fleet of 122 buses would be required, arriving and departing from San Francisco every 35 to 50 seconds. Testifying later at that same hearing, SamTrans chair John Mauro pointed out that since the inception of the San Mateo County bus service in 1975, service to San Francisco

26245-438: The state Public Utilities Commission to allow them to discontinue the commuter rail operation. From 1980 until 1992, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the three service counties, San Francisco , San Mateo , and Santa Clara , subsidized Southern Pacific operations on the railway until the local Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (PCJPB) acquired the right-of-way in 1991. In 1992, Caltrans released

26426-593: The state purchased new EMD F40PH locomotives. One of the factors driving the purchase of new locomotives was the dramatic increase in annual lease costs in 1985. With population (and ridership) growth on the Peninsula, the initial mix of 4-4-0 , 2-6-0 , and 4-4-2 locomotives were replaced by 4-6-0s . Older locomotives were redesignated to Commute service after they were displaced by newer locomotives assuming main-line (long-distance, inter-city) passenger service. Pacific-type 4-6-2s were used on peak-hour commutes by

26607-520: The system assuming twelve eight-EMU consists in each direction per hour was estimated to be approximately 75 MW, with the load generally remaining under 40-50 MW at any point. According to Caltrain, the electrification project will bring multiple benefits to the corridor. Firstly, electric trains can accelerate and decelerate more quickly than the existing diesel locomotives, resulting in faster and more frequent service. They will also replace Caltrain's current diesel locomotives and passenger cars,

26788-406: The three to buy and operate a railroad. [...] No one's going to offer to buy your railroad." SP had previously offered to sell MTC a single track along the right-of-way between San Bruno and San Jose in December 1975, which could have been used to extend BART, but the offer was not taken. Ridership increased during 1979 and 1980, aided by the gasoline crisis and fare subsidies; the Peninsula Commute

26969-459: The top priority to make the rail line more palatable to neighbors, citing improvements in noise and pollution. Other advocates for electrification of Caltrain noted the $ 1.2 billion BART extension to San Francisco International Airport may have revived the decades-old dream of BART around the Bay, which would render an electrified Caltrain redundant. The electrification of Caltrain was assigned

27150-444: The town could potentially be divided in two by permanently closing the two grade crossings at Fair Oaks Lane and Watkins Avenue. In February 2015, shortly after the project received environmental clearance from the state, Atherton sued Caltrain, alleging the agency's environmental impact review was inadequate and that its collaboration with the CHSRA should be further vetted. In July 2015, the suit proceeded after Caltrain's request to

27331-461: The towns closer to Kowloon. They use rolling stocks with a faster maximum speed and have longer stop spacing compared to other lines which only run in the inner urban area, but in order to maximise capacity and throughput, these rolling stocks have longitudinal seatings, 5 pairs of doors in each carriage with large standing spaces like the urban lines, and run as frequent as well. Most of the sections of these four lines are overground and some sections of

27512-449: The track. Construction contracts for electrification were awarded in July 2016 and groundbreaking was expected to occur in March 2017, but was delayed when the new United States Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao indefinitely deferred federal funding just before construction was about to begin. That same month, Caltrain removed the contractor responsible for implementing PTC for failure to perform on budget and schedule. In May 2017,

27693-576: The tracks while the NTSB conducted an investigation. The reduced schedule was implemented again starting in May to accommodate construction activities in San Mateo and Burlingame. Clearance testing of the first electric trainset on the Caltrain corridor began in July 2022. The southern Traction Power Substation was energized that August. Initial testing of the overhead catenary system and trains began along

27874-494: The train either has a terminal station or passes through the city centre with notably fewer station stops than those of urban rail systems. Toilets are often available on-board trains and in stations. Their ability to coexist with freight or intercity services in the same right-of-way can drastically reduce system construction costs. However, frequently they are built with dedicated tracks within that right-of-way to prevent delays, especially where service densities have converged in

28055-515: The train from either end. The motive power for locomotive-hauled commuter trains may be either electric or diesel–electric , although some countries, such as Germany and some of the former Soviet-bloc countries, also use diesel–hydraulic locomotives. In the US and some other countries, a three-and-two seat plan is used. Middle seats on these trains are often less popular because passengers feel crowded and uncomfortable. In Japan, South Korea and Indonesia, longitudinal (sideways window-lining) seating

28236-414: The train, and that eight more lanes would need to be added to the freeway to accommodate traffic if rail service were to stop suddenly. However, in the period after the war, Peninsula roads were improved; the four-lane undivided Bayshore Highway (completed in 1925) was rebuilt into a six-lane divided freeway between 1949 and 1962, and Interstate 280 was completed in the 1970s. Train ridership declined with

28417-553: The trains can be full with commuters standing. The Athens Suburban Railway in Greece consists of five lines, 4 of which are electrified. The Kiato – Piraeus line and the Aigio – Airport lines reach speeds of up to 180 km/h (112 mph). The Athens – Chalcis line is also expected to attain speeds of up to 200 km/h (124 mph) upon upgrading of the SKA–Oinoi railway sector. These lines also have many daily commuters, with

28598-469: The travel time to distant locations, often using station passing loops instead of dedicated express tracks. It is notable that the larger Japanese commuter rail systems are owned and operated by for-profit private railway companies, without public subsidy. East Japan Railway Company operates a large suburban train network in Tokyo with various lines connecting the suburban areas to the city center. While

28779-442: The two systems over the Peninsula Corridor did not meet the original voter-approved vision of a quad-track line between San Francisco and Los Angeles, and ridership would never meet projections. The town of Atherton , which lies on the tracks, was an early and vocal opponent of electrification. Residents opposed electrification and the proposed high-speed rail route because the overhead electrical lines would require tree removal and

28960-574: The type of train, amenities offered, and stopping pattern, usually tell the services apart. Russian commuter trains , on the other hand, frequently cover areas larger than Belgium itself, although these are still short distances by Russian standards. They have a different ticketing system from long-distance trains, and in major cities they often operate from a separate section of the train station. Some consider "inter-city" service to be that which operates as an express service between two main city stations, bypassing intermediate stations. However, this term

29141-419: The use of the large "General Service" 4-8-4 locomotives which served the Peninsula Corridor through 1957. Diesel-electric Fairbanks-Morse Train Masters had been running in Peninsula Commute service since 1954. Fairbanks-Morse and, later, EMD diesels served the Peninsula Commute past 1980, when the state-run CalTrain began assuming financial responsibility for the service, and were not retired until 1985, when

29322-470: The way inter-city rail does. Regional rail operates outside major cities. Unlike Inter-city, it stops at most or all stations between cities. It provides a service between smaller communities along the line that are often byproducts of ribbon developments , and also connects with long-distance services at interchange stations located at junctions, terminals, or larger towns along the line. Alternative names are "local train" or "stopping train". Examples include

29503-416: Was $ 7.81 million, resulting in a farebox recovery ratio of 43%. The deficit was covered by a mix of Urban Mass Transportation Act funds ($ 2 million), contributions from SP ($ 400,000), and the state and three counties served ($ 4.56 million each). During state administration, Caltrans purchased new locomotives and cars that replaced the SP equipment in 1985 and provided push-pull service (removing

29684-517: Was challenging and Caltrain, the busiest commuter rail service on the West Coast, still had not fully implemented the system by the end of 2016. The Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project (PCEP) draft environmental impact report was released in February 2014. After addressing comments received, PCJPB certified the final environmental impact report in January 2015. A pre-qualification survey

29865-415: Was completed, with the entire line planned to be energised by summer 2022. Testing of the line would then begin using an AEM-7 electric locomotive, with revenue service planned for 2024. To expedite construction, the weekday train schedule was reduced and fewer stops were planned north of Hillsdale temporarily in the second half of March 2022. However, construction was suspended temporarily that month after

30046-413: Was considered, although with the permanent closure of Atherton station, only Broadway station will receive restored daily service. Under the original schedule, Caltrain planned to complete the project by the end of 2021. Power is supplied to the trains through an overhead contact system (OCS), consisting of a messenger wire, which assumes a parabolic shape due to sag, and a contact wire suspended below

30227-520: Was ending, it elected to build a diversion track to the west. This line forced a move for the city's passenger traffic to a new station at Cahill , placing it one mile from downtown (whereas it had previously been a four-block distance). Passenger service along the Ocean View Branch ended after November 1928. SP's Peninsula Commute experienced record ridership during World War II . During the war, 26 trains ran between San Jose and San Francisco per day, with headways as low as 5 minutes (traveling north) in

30408-518: Was evaluated to be "the only technically and financially viable" solution to completing PTC before the FRA's deadline of December 31, 2018. Approximately 80% of the equipment for CBOSS that had already been installed was able to be reused, and FRA approved a revised schedule in January 2019 to implement PTC by December 2020. In early 2016, the CHSRA had selected a route that required extensive and costly tunneling in Southern California and revised its initial operating plans for high-speed rail to include

30589-474: Was heard on August 26, 1912, and after it became clear that many cities felt the rates were excessive and that a rate cut would happen, SP asked for a continuance to put together a compromise. Also in 1912, SP proposed that private club cars be provided on several morning trains to allow commuters to "enjoy a shave or shampoo and indulge in convival highball while making their daily trips to San Francisco." Commuter rail The term can refer to systems with

30770-401: Was introduced in 1909 to partially defray rates for frequent commuters. In 1910, SP added that rates across the Bay were comparable, and maintenance of the line between San Francisco and San Jose , partially paid by fares, was expensive. Although SP purchased the electric railway connecting Palo Alto and San Jose, bringing hope that it would be extended further north, it turned out the purchase

30951-405: Was merely a strategy to eliminate competition. When fares began to be regulated in 1912, associations in Peninsula cities and Santa Clara County filed complaints against SP, citing rates that were significantly higher than fares to Alameda County destinations of similar distance. The higher rates to Peninsula destinations was believed to cause slow growth of properties on the Peninsula. The suit

31132-486: Was moved from San Francisco to San Jose at the head of Caltrain #74 on December 16, 1994; #2472 was to lead a special charity excursion train back to San Francisco the next day. While coupled to Caltrain #74, though, #2472 was used to help accelerate the train out of each station, so it was not just a cosmetic appearance. #2472 has since been used occasionally along the Peninsula Corridor for special service, but not while providing revenue passenger service. The first diesel on

31313-423: Was originally approved via the FEIR for a location near the intersection of California and Lincoln; however, this would interfere with plans to grade separate the crossing at Broadway, so PS3 was moved west of the tracks to a location near Mills and California. Based on resident objections to the new site, however, the City of Burlingame offered an alternative site east of the tracks at 1369 North Carolan adjacent to

31494-457: Was purposely crippled in speed to avoid competing with the rail service. Mauro had previously tried to negotiate with SP to enter a "purchase of service" contract in March 1976, but SP refused to accept a direct subsidy, which led to the passenger fare subsidy instead. During that hearing, the committee chair, Walter Ingalls, stated bluntly the state was not "going to authorize either SamTrans or Santa Clara County or San Francisco County or any of

31675-423: Was quoted as saying "Caltrain is locked into an old technology and 20th century thinking". After Caltrain issued infrastructure and rolling stock contracts in July 2016, Atherton representatives did not file a temporary restraining order to halt those contracts, preferring to let the suit proceed to a hearing. In September 2016, Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Barry Goode sided with Caltrain, ruling that

31856-528: Was revised on July 15, 2017, which decreased frequency from 60 minutes to 90 minutes between trains and eliminated eight trains per weekend day. An official groundbreaking ceremony was held on July 21, 2017, at the Millbrae station . As of June 2018 , 149 poles had been erected in San Bruno and South San Francisco. In December 2018, Caltrain was carrying 65,000 passengers a day, and expected to carry four times that amount by 2040. Accordingly, Caltrain announced plans to increase its electric train order by

32037-417: Was seen as key to a planned extension of BART to San Francisco International Airport , an extension that eventually opened in 2003. The recommendations of the 1977 Peninsula Transit Alternatives Project ( PENTAP ) Report (mandated by the Legislature in 1975 by SB 283) were used to draft AB 1853. PENTAP recommended that train and bus service be improved, fixed rail transit facilities be better utilized in

32218-437: Was sent out in May 2014, and six firms were pre-qualified to bid on PCEP construction, which was eventually awarded to Balfour Beatty Construction . In July 2016, Caltrain's Board of Directors awarded contracts to Balfour Beatty and Stadler Rail to construct infrastructure for the electric trains and the electric trains themselves, respectively. Balfour Beatty was awarded a $ 697 million contract, its largest contract in

32399-470: Was so sensitive to gasoline prices that ridership jumped by 40% in May and June 1979. SP's ICC petition received a preliminary affirmative ruling from the administrative law judge in July 1979. To preserve the commuter service, Caltrans took over financial responsibility on July 1, 1980  ( 1980-07-01 ) , and contracted with SP to operate the service. In the first fiscal year, covering 1980–81, operating costs were $ 19.33 million and fare revenue

32580-527: Was unmoved by arguments on infrastructure benefits, saying in late February that he would not "feel too bad about one of the richest places on the planet not having a train." Fellow Republican Representative Jeff Denham defended the letter, saying Caltrain's electrification project and CHSRA were closely intertwined because the former derived some funding under the "blended plan" agreement. Representative Tom McClintock reiterated his opposition to high-speed rail without addressing Caltrain: "I have never supported

32761-444: Was waiting for a signature from the newly appointed Trump Administration Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao after a 30-day review period to secure a grant approval. However, during the review period, the fourteen Republican party U.S. House representatives from California sent a letter to Secretary Chao, urging her to deny funding due to the project's ties with high-speed rail, which they opposed. The letter went on to call

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