Caltrain completes Mid-County signal construction, returns to regular schedule May 23

Caltrain returned to its regular schedule May 23, following service reductions that began May 2 to accommodate electrification construction.  

With the return of regular service, riders can expect up to four trains per hour in each direction on weekdays. 

Construction crews were able to install and test the new signal system at 17 crossings in Burlingame and San Mateo, meaning the new system has been successfully implemented at 24 of the 41 grade crossings that are needed before revenue service of Caltrain Electrification in 2024. 

Caltrain has yet to fully recover from the effects of the pandemic. To help increase ridership and improve equity, Caltrain has expanded its off-peak service, allowing a wider range of riders to take advantage of the system. 

In addition, Caltrain has made other improvements to its operations by adding 300 elockers at 19 of its stations for bicyclists, and for customers who use a Clipper card, Caltrain has made it easier for users to reload their card with cash directly at Caltrain stations. In the past, that option was limited to designated offsite locations. Caltrain also recently unveiled a new, mobile-friendly website that improves the customer experience, making it easier to view and track schedules and receive service updates. 

The electrification of the Caltrain system will deliver major benefits to the communities that it serves. Electrification will reduce Caltrain’s greenhouse gas emissions and eliminate the particulate matter caused by the aging diesel engines. Service will become both more frequent and more comfortable, as state-of-the-art electric trains replace the 30-year-old diesel fleet.  

Caltrain says the project also created thousands of jobs locally and throughout the country, both to electrify the corridor and to assemble the new trains, which include components from across the country. Electrified service will lay the foundation to meet Caltrain’s goal of tripling capacity by 2040, the equivalent of carrying 5.5 lanes to U.S. Highway 101. The infrastructure that is being installed will be compatible with future high-speed rail on the corridor. The Caltrain Electrification Project is expected to be completed in 2024.