Caltrain will be suspending its service between Hillsdale and Palo Alto Stations on the weekends of July 15-16 and 22-23 in order to accommodate Caltrain electrification construction and testing. Construction crews will continue to erect poles and hang wires for the overhead catenary system (OCS).
Caltrain encourages riders to seek alternative transit options. Bus bridge service will be available to Caltrain-dependent riders, but passengers should expect delays and longer travel times.
These will be the 15th and 16th of approximately 30 weekends in 2023 in which service will be adjusted to accommodate construction and testing for electrified service, which is expected to launch passenger service in fall 2024. Thus far, construction crews have installed 59 poles this year along with over 431,000 feet of wire.
Caltrain is running a public awareness campaign throughout the year to alert riders to potential service disruptions and provide information about the new and improved service that electrification will deliver.
Caltrain’s historic electrification project is the first undertaking in North America in a generation in which diesel trains and their infrastructure components are transitioned to an electrified system. The project will improve the customer experience by increasing the number of trains, modernizing service and adding new safety elements. The new trains will feature on board displays with digital trip information, increased storage capacities, baby-changing tables, Wi-Fi and power outlets at every seat. Electrification will also help meet ambitious regional and state climate action goals by lowering greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality and relieving traffic congestion. Additionally, electrified service will advance equity along the corridor by reducing noise and air pollution while increasing access for priority equity communities. It will also set the framework for California’s future High Speed Rail network that will run on the Caltrain corridor.
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About Caltrain: Owned and operated by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, Caltrain provides rail service from San Francisco to San Jose, with commute service to Gilroy. Serving the region since 1863, Caltrain is the oldest continually operating rail system west of the Mississippi. Looking to the future, Caltrain is set to electrify the corridor by 2024, which will reduce diesel emissions and add more service to more stations while advancing the agency’s equity goals.
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Media Contact: Dan Lieberman, 650.622.2492