Caltrain Modernization Program: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 06:28, 26 January 2025

Revision as of 23:08, 9 February 2025

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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 has transitioned from its legacy push-pull trains hauled by [[diesel-electric locomotive]]s, most of which have been in service since 1985.

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.