Caltrain

Caltrain is a mass transit system in the U.S. state of California. It serves the counties of San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara and runs up to 96 times a day between San Francisco and Gilroy. Most trains terminate been to San José.

History

The first line was opened in 1851 by the San Francisco and San Jose Railroad, leading from San Francisco through today's Silicon Valley to San Jose. In 1864, here one of the first local trains ( commuter trains ) was introduced in the United States.

In San Jose, there is a transition to the Capitol Service Amtrak and Altamont Commuter Express on to Stockton.

Later operator was the Southern Pacific Railroad, now part of the Union Pacific.

After a traffic study on the future of the system, the joint Powers Board was established in 1987, in 1991 the rights to the track and vehicles from the Southern Pacific took over and the American long-distance Amtrak responsible for the operation of the route.

Today, Caltrain is one of the most important transportation links around the bay from San Francisco.

Rolling stock

Caltrain uses a diverse fleet of vehicles. Besides locomotives from EMD, including the types F40, F59 and type MP36PH -3C of Motive Power drive BiLevel Coach double-deck cars from Bombardier and Gallery Doppelstockwagen Kinki Sharyo of. The track gauge is 1,435 mm.

Future

Because of the high frequency of trains is being considered by the year 2015, the electrification of the line. Currently, it is discussed whether electric locomotives of the type TRAXX and double-deck coaches of the manufacturer Bombardier are to be used. About the electrified track and the trains of the California High - Speed ​​Rail new lines of Fresno can drive through from 2026 onwards coming over Gilroy and San Jose to San Francisco.