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Caltrain Takes You Out to the Ballgame
While the San Francisco Giants spent the last couple of months sweating under the
Arizona sun to get ready for the 2004 baseball season, Caltrain's crews have been
equally hard at work getting ready to roll out this year's baseball train service.
Caltrain will begin baseball service to SBC Park
for the Giants' first home exhibition game against the Texas Rangers on Thursday,
April 1, by scheduling extra service and longer trains. Two special service trains
will be scheduled to serve SBC crowds before each game.
After the game, fans can board any regularly scheduled train, an express baseball
train, or an extra local baseball train serving all regular stops along the Peninsula
to the Tamien station in San Jose. The express train will depart 15 minutes after the
last out or when full, and will express to San Carlos, then make all regular stops to
Tamien. The extra local train will depart 25 minutes after the game.
Caltrain also will expand capacity on its regular trains by adding cars. Caltrain
generally uses five cars per train, providing space for more than 700 riders per
train.
Caltrain will offer express bus service to weekend
games while weekend construction along the rail corridor wraps up.
Caltrain expects to begin operating weekend train service - and serving weekend
ballgames - this June.
Until weekend service, returns the baseball bus routes - BB1, BB2 and BB3 - will
operate at or near 15 stations along the rail corridor. The buses will arrive at the
park 45 minutes before the game and depart as they fill after the final out. Regular
Caltrain fares apply and tickets must be purchased in advance from station ticket
vending machines. No cash fares are accepted onboard the bus.
Last year, approximately 260,000 baseball fans used Caltrain service to get to the
ballgames.
Caltrain is a Proof-of-Payment system, requiring all passengers to have valid fare
media before boarding the train. Caltrain sells tickets through machines at all
stations with the exception of Stanford and Paul Avenue. Passengers may purchase
One-way, Day Pass, or 10-ride tickets. The 10-ride Ticket is a great bargain for
families and groups of friends heading to the ballpark because one ticket may be used
by all members of the traveling party, providing they don't exceed the 10-ride limit.
Passengers are required to validate all 10-ride tickets before boarding. If a
validator is not working, 10-ride ticket holders should immediately locate a
conductor upon boarding the train.
For additional schedule and fare information, call Caltrain at 1.800.660.4287 (or TDD
only) 650.508.6448.
3/22/04
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