Caltrain announces new leadership for electrification project

    Sept. 20, 2021
    The agency has appointed Pranaya Shrestha as the interim chief of the Caltrain Modernization Program.
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    Caltrain Modernization (CalMod) Chief Officer John Funghi will be leaving Oct. 15, 2021, spurring Caltrain to transition the project to new leadership to ensure a successful outcome resulting in passenger service with high-performance electric trains by 2024. 

    The agency has appointed Pranaya Shrestha as the interim chief of the Caltrain Modernization Program. Shrestha has 30 years of rail experience, including experience with 25kV AC commuter rail and DC light-rail systems, and design-build project delivery successes with federal recognition. He has finished 19 major transit projects totaling more than $9 billion and has worked on transit projects in Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Orlando and Seattle. 

    Shrestha has worked with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and has established solid working relationships that have resulted in positively delivering federally funded projects. He is currently a HNTB consultant and will be on property 100 percent dedicated to the $2.3 billion Electrification project. 

    “We would like to welcome Pranaya to Caltrain as we march towards revenue service in 2024,” said Caltrain Acting Executive Director Michelle Bouchard. “Pranaya has successfully delivered projects and worked with all the major contractors that are working on the electrification project. With his many years of experience, we believe he is the right person to lead the electrification project.”  

    Much of the civil infrastructure work for the electrification project is progressing as expected. Most of the work remaining, with risk, relates to the signal and systems integration work. The start of electrification testing is scheduled to start before the end of the year. 

    “Signal work and systems integration work are very complex,” Bouchard added. “Converting an operating diesel system to an electrical system is complicated and must be done right to minimize interruptions to the railroad and ensure a safe environment for the riders, public and Caltrain personnel.” 

    “We would like to sincerely thank John Funghi for his more than three years of service to the railroad,” said Caltrain Board Chair Dev Davis. “His leadership has allowed the project to advance construction significantly with a trajectory for electrified revenue service by 2024.”