Caltrain

Kruunuvuori bridge in Helsinki, FInland under construction.

April must-reads: Top 10 articles from last month

The world's longest car-free bridge opens in Finland, Amtrak's new Mardi Gras line shatters ridership predictions, and Bay Area commuters could lose a third of Caltrain stations.

May 7, 2026 - Diana Ionescu

Silver and red Caltrain train pulling into station in Sunnyvale, California on a rainy day with passengers waiting with umbrellas.

Despite 47% growth in ridership, Caltrain could close a third of its stations

Riders can currently travel up to 79 miles between San Francisco and Gilroy, California.

April 7, 2026 - USA Today

People walking bikes on Caltrain platform next to Caltrain bike car.

Caltrain Outlaws Cargo Bikes, Child Seats as Demand Overwhelms Bike Cars

Around 20 percent of Caltrain passengers use a bike to get to or from stations.

March 6, 2026 - Streetsblog San Francisco

ELectric red and white Caltrain train at outdoor covered platform.

Electric Caltrain Will Earn $1 Million/Year Returning Power to the Grid

The train returns 23% of the power it generates to the state’s grid, powering homes and businesses along its route.

October 16, 2025 - Metro Magazine

White and red Caltrain electric train at platform with people walking around.

Electrified Caltrain Boosts Ridership 76%

The introduction of electric trains and faster, more frequent service has led to a dramatic increase in ridership.

August 5, 2025 - Streetsblog San Francisco

Red and white Caltrain train.

Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification

The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.

April 15, 2025 - Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

Two red and white electric trains, part of Caltrain fleet in San Francisco, California.

Caltrain Ridership Up 54 Percent Over October 2023

The system made the switch to faster, more modern all-electric trains in September.

November 21, 2024 - Mass Transit

Red and white Caltrain electric train at platform in San Jose, California.

Caltrain Introduces Electric Train Fleet

The Bay Area agency will switch to all electric trains by the end of September.

September 12, 2024 - FOX News

White and red Caltrain commuter train

Rail Electrification: Caltrain adds BEMUs to its EMU Order

Caltrain, the San Francisco-to-San Jose commuter railroad, plans to begin electrified operation next year on its 49-mile mainline. A 28-mile extension south to Gilroy would continue to be served by diesel trains, with one train powered by battery.

August 24, 2023 - San Mateo Daily Journal

Antioch, California

Op-Ed: To Survive, Bay Area Transit Needs Integration

Advocates for ‘seamless’ transit are calling on California state leaders to tie a consolidation study to a one-time injection of funding into the Bay Area’s transit systems.

June 1, 2023 - Streetsblog San Francisco

Outdoor entrance to Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco, California

San Francisco Tunnel Project Balloons in Cost

The plan to extend a Caltrain line to the Salesforce Transit Center is now expected to cost $6.7 billion as the agency faces a budget shortfall for its electrification project.

January 25, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Mission Bay and Potrero Hill

Caltrain Railyard Redevelopment Back on the Table in San Francisco

An incredibly complex development proposal for 20 acres of Caltrain railyard is back on the table, nearly a decade since it first made news in San Francisco.

October 17, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Rail Transit

Caltrain Electrification Project Faces Budget Shortfall

The agency is seeking an additional $260 million to complete electrification of train lines between San Francisco and San Jose.

May 31, 2022 - San Francisco Examiner

San Francisco Rail Transit

One Rail System to Ring the Bay Area? Supporters See Reasons for Optimism

A plan to integrate the various regional transit providers in the San Francisco Bay Area could be the key to winning back transit riders in the post-pandemic world.

April 15, 2021 - The Mercury News

San Francisco Rail Transit

Compromise Reached to Save Caltrain

The saga of the three-county sales tax upon which the future of Caltrain depends is now in the hands of voters.

August 24, 2020 - KTVU

Regional Transit

Plan to Save Caltrain Emerges

Elected officials in San Francisco and Santa Clara counties have produced a counter proposal after killing a proposed sales tax last week.

July 23, 2020 - The Mercury News

Commuter Rail

Caltrain on the Rocks as Sales Tax Measure Fails

Advocates are concerned about the possibility of Caltrain entirely shutting down—less than a year after the commuter rail line seemed positioned for a massive expansion of service.

July 16, 2020 - The Daily Journal

Regional Transit

A New Ballot Measure Could Increase Caltrain's Funding by $108 Million Per Year

Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco county voters could see a ballot measure to fund an ambitious Caltrain plan with a one-eighth cent sales tax, amounting to more than $100 million dollars per year.

April 12, 2020 - The Mercury News

San Francisco Rail Transit

Uber App Feature Integrates Transit and Ridesharing

Uber’s "Make My Train" app feature lets riders better plan journeys across modes.

February 24, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Regional Transit

S.F. Bay Area's Caltrain Proposes Major Expansion

The agency wants to increase service and extend its infrastructure to move Caltrain from a commuter rail system to an integrated urban transit network.

August 8, 2019 - The Mercury News

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

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