3 Caltrain Electric Trains Complete Testing

Caltrain announced that three of its eventual 23 electric train sets have completed a thousand miles of testing along the Caltrain corridor.

The entirety of the new fleet must meet all safety and quality standards before the launch of electrified service in the fall of 2024. 

This 1,000-mile testing process is required to ensure all safety and quality standards are met to ensure that the trains can safely operate on Caltrain’s tracks.

The trainsets will continue to undergo additional testing before they can be deemed ready for passenger service in 2024. Caltrain currently has six train sets on the property, with the remainder expected to arrive from the Stadler US manufacturing facility in Utah over the next year. 

"Rigorous testing of equipment is how we make sure that our corridor remains safe for passengers and the communities we serve,” said Executive Director Michelle Bouchard. “I thank our crews for all their hard work testing these vehicles through the night while we continue to carry passengers during the day. I look forward to the rest of the new fleet going through the same safety testing process and to the rollout of this impressive fleet for our passengers later this year." 

More About Caltrain’s Electrification Project

Caltrain’s Electrification Project is the first undertaking in North America in a generation in which diesel trains and their infrastructure components are transitioned to an electrified system.

Electrified service can set the framework for California’s future High-Speed Rail network that will run on the Caltrain corridor, according to the company.

The proposed Electrification service plan would see weekday peak-hour trains go to 79 stations per hour, an increase from the current 66.

Eleven stations would experience four train arrivals hourly per direction, a notable improvement from seven stations currently. Midday trains would cover 44 stations per hour, up from 34 today.

Caltrain unveiled its new plan for electrified service in December. The plan includes faster transit times, more frequent service including during weekends, and increased amenities like on-board Wi-Fi and electrical outlets at every seat.

According to the agency, the service improvements are possible because Caltrain is replacing all the aging diesel trains between San Francisco and San Jose with electric trains that provide better service performance and quality.

Earlier in September, Caltrain completed the installation of every pole for the Overhead Contact System (OCS), which provides power to the electric trains, upgraded the signal system that allows electric trains to operate along the Caltrain corridor, and successfully tested the new electric trains at a maximum track speed of 79 mph.

These three major milestones brought the Caltrain Electrification Project closer to passenger service.