| Caltrain Electrification |
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Caltrain officials have long planned to electrify the Peninsula commuter system, allowing for faster, more frequent service, quieter trains, a cleaner environment, and reduced operating costs. Plans were, however, put on hold when the high-speed rail project between San Francisco and Los Angeles raised questions about integrating high-speed rail into the busy Peninsula corridor. Bay Area transportation officials, along with the California High-speed Rail Authority, have now developed a plan-called Fast Start-for the early phased implementation of high-speed intercity passenger rail service between the San Francisco Transbay Transit Center and Diridon Station in San Jose. By merging Caltrain Electrification and the Caltrain Downtown Extension to the Transbay Transit Center into a single project, and introducing positive train control and infrastructure improvements, near-high-speed passenger rail service can quickly be established between San Francisco and San Jose at relatively low cost, achieving the electrification of the Caltrain system and paving the way for a phased implementation of the complete high-speed rail system. Find out more from Caltrain Modernization Program web page. Learn more about high-speed rail at the California High-speed Rail Authority web site. |
