Caltrain will temporarily reduce its service levels down to 88 trains per day from May 2 to May 20 to accommodate Caltrain Electrification work in San Mateo and Burlingame.
Caltrain will operate three trains per hour in each direction between the hours of 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
This construction was initially scheduled for March but was rescheduled because of the March 10 collision between a train and on-track work equipment, which the National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating. Baby Bullet service will be suspended during this period of construction. There will be no changes to weekday midday and evening service or to weekend service.
Trains will be single tracking through Broadway, Burlingame, San Mateo, Hayward Park and Hillsdale stations during this period. Riders using those stations should pay attention to signage and announcements to make sure they are waiting at the correct platform at the station. In addition, there will be temporary crossing closures in Burlingame and San Mateo.
On Monday, May 23, Caltrain will revert back to the regular weekday schedule.
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.
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.