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The '''Caltrain Modernization Program''' ('''CalMod'''), sometimes referred to as the '''Caltrain Electrification Project''', was a $2.44 billion project which added a [[positive train control]] (PTC) system and [[Railway electrification|electrified the main line]] of the U.S. commuter railroad [[Caltrain]], which serves cities in the [[San Francisco Peninsula]] and [[Silicon Valley]]. The electrification included installation of a 25 kV catenary system over the double-tracked line from San Francisco to San Jose, and acquisition of new rolling stock, consisting of [[Stadler KISS]] double-decker [[electric multiple unit]]s (EMU). Caltrain is transitioning<!--September 21: change to "has transitioned"--> from its legacy push-pull trains hauled by [[diesel-electric locomotive]]s, most of which have been in service since 1985.
Construction for CalMod began with a groundbreaking ceremony at Millbrae station on July 21, 2017 and completed in April 2024; after testing, inaugural revenue service with EMUs running under the overhead catenary began just over seven years later, on August 11, 2024. The rollout of the EMUs was completed on September 21, 2024. According to Caltrain, benefits accrued by electrifying the tracks and switching to EMUs include improved service times via faster acceleration and shorter [[headway]]s, and reduced air pollution and noise. In addition, it enabled planning and implementation to proceed for [[The Portal (San Francisco)|The Portal]], a planned [[railway tunnel]] to extend service approximately {{cvt|1|mi}} from its existing northern terminus into the rail station shared with [[California High-Speed Rail]] under downtown San Francisco's [[Salesforce Transit Center]], as diesel trains cannot serve underground stations.
==Overview==
CalMod electrified {{convert|51|mi|km}} of tracks between [[San Francisco 4th and King Street station|4th and King station]] and [[Tamien station]] and installed a PTC management system along the tracks. PTC is designed to fulfill federal safety mandates for passenger rail and is part of the [[Federal Railroad Administration]] (FRA) waiver to use EMUs on tracks shared with freight traffic. Funding for the project came from various federal, state, and local sources, including from the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA).
Proposals for electrifying the line began as early as 1992 when the [[California Department of Transportation]] conducted an early feasibility study. For two decades, the project lay dormant due to lack of funding until Caltrain agreed to share its tracks with the CHSRA, which was looking for a route for the legally mandated San Jose–San Francisco segment. The Authority agreed to partially fund the electrification project in exchange for rights to share the track. Construction contracts for electrification were awarded in July 2016 and [[groundbreaking]] was expected to occur in March 2017, but was delayed when the new [[United States Secretary of Transportation]] [[Elaine Chao]] indefinitely deferred federal funding just before construction was about to begin. That same month, Caltrain removed the contractor responsible for implementing PTC for failure to perform on budget and schedule. In May 2017, the [[Federal Transit Administration]] (FTA) announced its intention to sign the grant and reversed Secretary Chao's deferment. Construction formally began two months later.
StadlerConstruction KISSfor unitsCalMod began deliverywith ina Marchgroundbreaking 2022,ceremony andat systemMillbrae testingstation startedon inJuly June21, 2023.2017, The electrification of the line wasand completed in April 2024,.<ref name="april2024">{{cite news |title=Caltrain fully energizes electrified corridor |url=https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/caltrain-fully-energizes-electrified-corridor/ |access-date=April 10, 2024 |work=[[Trains (magazine)|Trains]] |publisher=[[Kalmbach Media]] |date=April 10, 2024}}</ref> Stadler KISS units began delivery in March 2022, and system testing proceededstarted throughin theJune summer 20242023. Caltrain began public revenue service using the Stadler EMUs on August 11, 2024, with two trainsets, adding more gradually until fully transitioning to all-electric trainsets on September 21.<ref>{{cite press release|title=Caltrain Welcomes First Passengers on New Electric Trains|publisher=Caltrain|___location=San Carlos, California|date=August 10, 2024|accessdate=August 10, 2024|url=https://www.caltrain.com/news/caltrain-welcomes-first-passengers-new-electric-trains}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|title=The Future of Caltrain is Here|publisher=Caltrain|___location=San Carlos, California|date=September 21, 2024|accessdate=September 21, 2024|url=https://www.caltrain.com/launchparty}}</ref> Some of the newer diesel locomotives and conventional passenger coaches will be retained for service south of Tamien. Switching to EMUs is intended to improve service times via faster acceleration and shorter [[headway]]s, and reduce air and noise pollution. CalMod also enabled planning and implementation to proceed for [[The Portal (San Francisco)|The Portal]], a planned tunnel to extend Caltrain and future [[California High-Speed Rail]] service approximately {{cvt|1|mi}} to downtown San Francisco's [[Salesforce Transit Center]].
==History==
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