California Construction News staff writer
Caltrain’s new electrified train fleet has been unveiled, a key piece of California’s high-speed rail system plans.
The electrification project and electric trains received more than $1.3 billion in state funding, including more than $700 million from high-speed rail, and will serve as the Bay Area’s connection to California high-speed rail. Caltrain’s electrification and high-speed rail are key projects to build more, faster infrastructure agenda.
In the last year, all environmental reviews from Los Angeles to the Bay Area were completed, trainset selection started, station and track construction continued, creating about 14,000 jobs.
“High-speed rail linked to an electrified Caltrain will not just get Californians where they’re going faster, it’s connecting communities and driving economic growth” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “The completed Caltrain project is an integral part of high-speed rail and the story California is telling about clean transportation.
“And Californians are already seeing the results for themselves as we electrify Caltrain, finish structures, lay track, design and build stations, and buy trains. We’re making rail real in California.”
The Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project converts the Caltrain corridor between San Francisco and San Jose from diesel to an electric service that reduces emissions and enhances capacity. It also equips the corridor to accommodate future California High Speed Rail service. Caltrain estimates that corridor electrification will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 250,000 tons annually, equivalent to taking 55,000 cars off the roads. After completion:
- Express trains will operate in under an hour, compared to 65 minutes today.
- Local trains will operate in 75 minutes, compared to 100 minutes today.
- 16 stations will have service every 15-20 min in peak periods, compared to only 7 today.
- Every station will have service every 30 min mid-day, evenings and weekends, compared to hourly today.
Construction began in July 2017. Limited passenger service begins tomorrow with full passenger service slated to begin next month.
