Caltrain to eliminate 55-cent discount on Clipper fares Jan. 1

Caltrain will be eliminating the 55-cent discount on all Clipper fares beginning on Jan. 1, 2026. Caltrain says the change will align prices for all fare payment methods on Caltrain, and the change will apply to all Clipper prices, including the price of monthly passes, which is calculated based on the cost of 24 one-way fares for the number of zones purchased. 

Caltrain notes its service levels have reached an all-time high, with 104 trains per weekday and more weekend service than ever before. According to the agency, since the launch of electric service, it has seen substantial ridership gains, with the agency seeing four consecutive months with over one million riders. 

The agency is projecting an average annual deficit of close to $75 million between fiscal years 2027 and 2035. According to Caltrain, the change in fares is projected to bring in additional revenue in the range of $1-2 million a year, but it will not be enough to close the projected deficit. Without an injection of funding from a regional sales tax measure or other external sources, Caltrain says it will need to explore significant service reductions, station closures and administrative cost reductions. The agency is reducing internal costs and exploring new revenue strategies to address the funding deficit, as well as working closely with regional and state partners to secure external funding.