Due to significant reductions in ridership resulting from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Caltrain will further reduce weekday train service indefinitely starting Monday, March 30.
The modified weekday schedule will operate 42 trains per day, rather than the usual 92. Trains will make all local weekday stops between San Jose and San Francisco every 30-60 minutes, depending on time of day. Caltrain will continue operating two Gilroy service trains during the morning and afternoon peak commute. Limited and Baby Bullet service will be suspended until further notice.
The updated weekday schedule is available at www.caltrain.com.
Weekend service will continue to operate normally.
These additional schedule reductions are necessary to mitigate severe fare revenue losses while still providing essential transit services to all stations along Caltrain’s corridor. Caltrain is monitoring ridership during this time and may implement additional service changes as needed while ensuring that riders can maintain social distancing in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations. Caltrain continues to maintain daily onboard cleaning and sanitation protocols in compliance with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines.
Caltrain is assessing the impact that reduced ridership is having on the agency’s ability to maintain operations in the coming months. One-way and Day Pass ticket sales have declined by approximately 86% from levels prior to the current health crisis. On the first day of the Bay Area-wide Public Health Order, Caltrain recorded a 95% decrease in average daily ticket sales. With no other dedicated source of funding, Caltrain relies on fares to cover 70% of the system’s operating costs.
Due to severe ridership declines as a result of the public health order, transit agencies, like Caltrain, are now experiencing serious financial challenges. Federal legislation has been approved that could provide transit agencies throughout the country with funding to maintain operations. Caltrain is working with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to determine how those funds will be allocated throughout the Bay Area.
For more information about Caltrain schedules and fares or for help planning your trip, call Caltrain Customer Service at 1.800.660.4287 (TTY 650.508.6448) or visit www.caltrain.com.
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About Caltrain: Owned and operated by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, Caltrain provides commuter rail service from San Francisco to San Jose, with commute service to Gilroy. While the Joint Powers Board assumed operating responsibilities for the service in 1992, the railroad celebrated 150 years of continuous passenger service in 2014. Planning for the next 150 years of Peninsula rail service, Caltrain is on pace to electrify the corridor, reduce diesel emissions by 97 percent by 2040 and add more service to more stations.
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