Content deleted Content added
copyedit |
m clean up, typo(s) fixed: April 10, 2017 → April 10, 2017, (2) |
||
Line 19:
===Baby Bullet service===
By April 2004, Caltrain was showing off the rolling stock it had acquired for Baby Bullet service.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.caltrain.com/news_2004_4_14_santa_clara_station_celebration.html |title=Caltrain Bullet Train on View for Santa Clara Weekend Celebration |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=14 April 2004 |publisher=Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board |accessdate=26 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060318013313/http://www.caltrain.com/news_2004_4_14_santa_clara_station_celebration.html |archive-date=18 March 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Construction was substantially complete by May 2004 when Caltrain began running "test" trains on the weekends to shake down the system and gain crew experience,<ref name=SFC-040514 /><ref name=Cal-0405>{{cite press release |url=http://www.caltrain.com/news_2004_5_10_weekend_test_trains.html |title=Caltrain to Begin Running Weekend "Test" Trains |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=10 May 2004 |publisher=Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board |accessdate=26 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060318013114/http://www.caltrain.com/news_2004_5_10_weekend_test_trains.html |archive-date=18 March 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and the Baby Bullet trains entered revenue service on June 7, 2004; the first northbound Baby Bullet discharged over 600 passengers upon its arrival in San Francisco at 6:45
Just prior to the inauguration of Baby Bullet service, Caltrain served an average of 27,000 riders per weekday.<ref name=SFC-040601 /> One year later, Caltrain ridership had increased by 12%,<ref name=SFC-050630>{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/BART-S-PENINSULA-LINE-FALLS-SHORT-OF-HOPES-2658527.php |title=BART's Peninsula Line Falls Short of Hopes / Competition from cheapter baby Bullet trains could be hurting ridership on extension |author=Murphy, Dave |date=30 June 2005 |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |accessdate=25 March 2017}}</ref> and by 2014, ten years later, Caltrain ridership had more than doubled to over 60,000 riders per weekday.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Business-Caltrain-group-vows-to-improve-commute-5849249.php |title=Business, Caltrain group looks to improve rail commute system |author=Cabanatuan, Michael |date=26 October 2014 |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |accessdate=25 March 2017}}</ref> Notably, once [[San Mateo County]] commuters were given the choice between [[Bay Area Rapid Transit|BART]] and Caltrain to San Francisco after the completion of the [[History of Bay Area Rapid Transit#San Francisco International Airport extension|BART extension]] to [[San Francisco International Airport]], many riders continued to prefer Caltrain and the Baby Bullet service, which was cheaper and quicker than switching to BART at Millbrae, in part because Caltrain, which follows the 1907 [[Bayshore Cutoff]] route constructed by [[Southern Pacific]], does not take a long detour west around [[San Bruno Mountain]] to reach San Francisco.<ref name=SFC-050630 />
Line 55:
{{quote |text=This cuts my commute so much that it's faster than driving. |author=Scott Hofmeister |source=Inaugural day interview with San Francisco-to-Mountain View commuter, June 7, 2004<ref name=SFC-040608 />}}
The revised schedule was the product of more than two hundred iterations, and added ten trains per weekday without increasing staffing because equipment was being used more efficiently.<ref name=Cal-050315>{{cite press release |url=http://www.caltrain.com/news_2005_3_15_transforming_caltrain.html |title=Transforming Caltrain: From Caterpillar to Butterfly in Three Easy Steps |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=15 March 2005 |publisher=Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board |accessdate=26 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060318015702/http://www.caltrain.com/news_2005_3_15_transforming_caltrain.html |archive-date=18 March 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, mid-day (off-peak) service was reduced at seven stations; trains used to stop every half hour, but the mid-day headway changed to every hour at 22nd Street, [[Bayshore station (Caltrain)|Bayshore]], [[South San Francisco station (Caltrain)|South San Francisco]], [[Broadway station (Caltrain)|Broadway]], [[Hayward Park station|Hayward Park]], [[Atherton station|Atherton]], and [[Tamien station|Tamien]].<ref name=SFC-040514 />
Riders to stations not served by Baby Bullet service complained their commute times increased because their trains slowed to allow Baby Bullets to overtake.<ref name=SFC-040707>{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/openforum/article/Baby-Bullet-fast-track-if-you-can-catch-it-2743457.php |title=OPINION: Baby Bullet – fast track (if you can catch it) |author=Ringham, Arthur |date=7 July 2004 |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |accessdate=25 March 2017}}</ref> Clem Tillier noted ridership at stations not served by Baby Bullets continued to be depressed in the years following CTX implementation,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://caltrain-hsr.blogspot.com/2011/12/baby-bullet-effect.html |title=The Baby Bullet Effect |author=Tillier, Clem |date=18 December 2011 |website=Caltrain HSR Compatibility Blog |accessdate=27 March 2017}}</ref> and that elimination of Baby Bullet service under a planned 76-train schedule actually improved service quality.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://caltrain-hsr.blogspot.com/2011/04/mind-service-gap.html |title=Mind The Service Gap |author=Tillier, Clem |date=9 April 2011 |website=Caltrain HSR Compatibility Blog |accessdate=27 March 2017}}</ref> Caltrain had initially proposed trimming the schedule from 86 trains per weekday to 48 trains only during peak hours to close a budget gap in 2011,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Caltrain-seeks-answers-to-funding-crisis-2478068.php |title=Caltrain seeks answers to funding crisis |author=Cabanatuan, Michael |date=21 January 2011 |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |accessdate=27 March 2017}}</ref> later refining the proposal to 76 trains per weekday and eliminating Baby Bullet service.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Caltrain-finds-funds-to-save-schedule-delays-vote-2375770.php |title=Caltrain find funds to save schedule, delays vote |author=Cabanatuan, Michael |date=7 April 2011 |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |accessdate=27 March 2017}}</ref> However, one-time funds were diverted from other sources and no service cuts were made in 2011.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Caltrain-plan-would-keep-services-going-1-year-2374268.php |title=Caltrain plan would keep services going 1 year |author=Cabanatuan, Michael |date=21 April 2011 |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |accessdate=27 March 2017}}</ref>
Line 246:
In 2011, Caltrain added Baby Bullet service to weekend schedules.<ref name=TT110101 /><ref name=SFC-110101>{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Caltrain-to-test-weekend-Baby-Bullet-runs-2534604.php |title=Caltrain to test weekend Baby Bullet runs |author=Cabanatuan, Michael |date=1 January 2011 |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |accessdate=25 March 2017}}</ref> There were four weekend/holiday Baby Bullets per day (two in the mornings and two in the evenings), each making seven intermediate stops between 4th&King and Diridon: Millbrae, San Mateo, Hillsdale, Redwood City, Palo Alto, Mountain View, and Sunnyvale; these stations were selected for their proximity to activities as probable leisure time destinations.<ref name=SFC-110101 />
Caltrain modified Pattern B trains to add a reverse-commute stop at Palo Alto in October 2012. With this change, all Baby Bullet trains stop at Palo Alto, regardless of pattern or direction.<ref name=TT121001 /> Caltrain shifted to a modified Pattern A on April 10, 2017, which added a reverse-commute stop at Redwood City. The revised schedule also extended service to Tamien for reverse-commute (southbound) Pattern B trains in the morning and California Ave for peak-direction (southbound) Pattern B trains in the afternoon.<ref name=TT170410 />
Caltrain service on weekends north of Bayshore was suspended and replaced by a bus bridge from October 2018 to March 2019 in order to accommodate tunnel notching work for the Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project. Weekend Baby Bullet trains originated and terminated at Bayshore, and a bus bridge made stops at both stations in San Francisco.<ref name=TT181006>{{cite web |url=http://www.caltrain.com/Assets/_Marketing/pdf/Caltrain+Weekend+Timetable+with+Bus+Bridge.pdf |title=Weekend Timetable with Bus Bridge |date=October 3, 2018 |publisher=Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board |accessdate=3 October 2018}}</ref>
Line 253:
===Rolling stock===
Caltrain purchased six [[MPI MPXpress#MP36PH-3C|MPI MP36PH-3C]] locomotives and seventeen [[Bombardier BiLevel Coach]]es to assemble Baby Bullet trains, supplementing the existing fleet of [[EMD F40PH]] locomotives and Nippon Sharyo gallery cars, which continued in local and limited-stop service.<ref name=Cal-040511 /><ref name=Fleets>{{cite web |url=http://www.caltrain.com/about/statsandreports/commutefleets.html |title=Commute Fleets |date=2017 |publisher=Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board |accessdate=25 March 2017}}</ref> The prime mover in the MP36PH-3C is an [[EMD 645|EMD 16-645F3B V-16 diesel]], with approximately 15–20% more power than the 16-645E3B in the F40PH, and head-end power is provided by a Caterpillar C-27;<ref name=BRA-0305 /><ref name=Cal-0304 /> Caltrain was the lead customer for the MP36PH-3C.<ref name=Fleets /> Caltrain unveiled the first of the new locomotives, JPBX #923 in a ceremony held on April 4, 2003, at Burlingame and attended by Senator Speier.<ref name=BRA-0305>{{cite news |url=http://www.bayrailalliance.org/newsletter/2003/2003-2may_sot.pdf |title=Caltrain unveils the Baby Bullet locomotive |last=Shelton |first=Bruce |date=May 2003 |newspaper=Staying on Track |publisher=BayRail Alliance |accessdate=26 March 2017}}</ref> The event ended in a round-trip excursion to Redwood City.<ref name=Cal-0304>{{cite press release |url=http://www.caltrain.com/news_2003_new_baby.html |title=The Stork Delivers Caltrain's New Baby |date=April 2003 |publisher=Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board |accessdate=26 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060318015652/http://www.caltrain.com/news_2003_new_baby.html |archive-date=18 March 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Locomotive JPBX #925 was dedicated to Senator Speier; her popularity, as evidenced by the named locomotive, was cited as one factor contributing to [[Lawrence Lessig]]'s decision to withdraw from the special election (where he would have opposed her) to replace [[Tom Lantos]] in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/uncategorized/2008/02/long-odds-lead-lessig-to-decide-against-run-for-congress/ |title=Long odds lead Lessig to decide against run for Congress |author=Sanchez, Julian |date=25 February 2008 |website=Ars Technica |accessdate=26 March 2017}}</ref>
PCJPB purchased the seventeen Bombardier cars (ten coaches and seven cab cars) from [[Sound Transit]],<ref name=BRA-0305 /> which oversees the Seattle-region [[Sounder commuter rail]] service. Sound Transit had ordered thirty-two cars in 1999 to be delivered in 2001 for a planned system expansion, and a combination of events, where the manufacturer completed the cars ahead of schedule and the expansion plans were unexpectedly delayed, left the cars available for Caltrain.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/documents/html/board/motions/html/motionm2001-72.html |title=Sound Transit Motion No. M2001-72 |date=9 August 2001 |publisher=Sound Transit |accessdate=25 March 2017}}</ref> The cars made their debut on June 28, 2002, during the groundbreaking ceremony that accompanied the launch of CTX; dignitaries had boarded the low-floor Bombardier cars at South San Francisco and rode up to 4th and King.<ref name=BRA-0207 /><ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.caltrain.com:80/news_ctx_event.html |title=Caltrain Unveils New Passenger Cars at CTX Event |date=June 2002 |publisher=Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board |accessdate=26 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021015042930/http://www.caltrain.com/news_ctx_event.html |archive-date=15 October 2002 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Bombardier cars entered revenue service in October 2002.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.caltrain.com/news_2002_baby_bullet_cars.html |title=Caltrain Baby Bullet Cars Entering Service |date=October 2002 |publisher=Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board |accessdate=26 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060318014212/http://www.caltrain.com/news_2002_baby_bullet_cars.html |archive-date=18 March 2006 |url-status=dead }}</ref> During the first year of Baby Bullet service in 2004, the five-car Bombardier consists had a capacity of only sixteen bicycles per train, and carried heavy passenger loads.<ref name=SFC-040608 />
| |||