Caltrain Electrification

I decided to make a map of all the grade crossings between downtown SF and Tamien. I used Google My Maps to make it, and while a lot of grade separation has been done, it continues to be patchy.

My Map (link)
Red = grade separation in service
Yellow-green = grade separation planned
Blue = neither state

In updating my earlier list of grade crossings in this thread, I found

Grade seps: Burlingame Broadway revamped with elevated design; Mountain View progress – Green Caltrain - 2022 March

From 5. Broadway Burlingame Grade Separation Project_0.pdf they are now expecting to start construction in 2024 and finish in 2028.

They've now decided on fully elevating the railroad tracks, rather than half-half elevating the tracks and depressing the street. Doing that will avoid an extended street closure and will save $26 M. Its estimated cost is now $316 M.

In Sunnyvale, for Castro St., they are planning to close the street and build a pedestrian and bicycle tunnel under the tracks. For Rengstorff Ave., they plan on building a road underpass.

Caltrain outlines $9B to $11B 20-year corridor grade separation program – Green Caltrain - 2019 May

They are expecting to build grade separations for 3/4 of the remaining at-grade crossings and close 1/4 of them.

Mountain View - Castro Street Closure | Mountain View, CA - EconDev - planning on establishing a pedestrian mall between Evelyn St. and California St. Evelyn St. is just south of the Mountain View Caltrain station, and establishing a pedestrian mall there will fit in well with closing Castro St. across the Caltrain tracks.

Streets will still cross that mall, and Evelyn St. will likely get a jag from a bit of Castro St.

Caltrain Awards Construction Contract for Mountain View Transit Center Grade Separation and Access Project | Caltrain - they plan to start construction in 2024 and finish in 2026.

Rengstorff Avenue Grade Separation Project | Caltrain - still in final design.

Sunnyvale - Caltrain Grade Separation | Sunnyvale, CA
They are currently thinking of an underpass for Mary Ave. and a ped/bike underpass for Sunnyvale Ave., cutting the street in two like Castro St. in Mtn View.

Palo Alto - Palo Alto inks deal with Caltrain for assistance with rail redesign | News | Palo Alto Online | - Tue, May 23, 2023, 11:18 am - for Churchill Ave., Meadow Dr., and Charleston Rd.

Atherton - Atherton has little interest in elevating train tracks | News | Almanac Online | - Dec 7, 2017, 6:50 pm

But more recently, Grade Separations – Bypasses to Greater Safety - 4 grade_separations (1).pdf - 2019

Atherton does not currently have plans to undertake grade separations. However, “Atherton supports grade separations at its two at-grade crossings, and it does not have a source of funding to complete grade separations. If grade separations at those at-grade crossings were proposed and funded by other agencies, the Town would support them.”

lpetrich wrote: ↑Wed Jul 26, 2023 7:42 am

Atherton does not currently have plans to undertake grade separations. However, “Atherton supports grade separations at its two at-grade crossings, and it does not have a source of funding to complete grade separations. If grade separations at those at-grade crossings were proposed and funded by other agencies, the Town would support them.”

This statement is most likely true completely across the country. Cities and towns desire grade separations, they just do not wish to pay for them. That's why there are so many at-grade crossings, they are much cheaper to build.

South San Francisco - South Linden and Scott Street Grade Separation Update -- 6/2/2022

• For Linden Ave., they've decided on a half-half approach, with the rail line elevated and the street lowered.
• For Scott St., they've decided to cut the street, like Castro St., and build a ped/bike tunnel.

The project is now in early stages of design, and may be built over 2028 - 2031.

Burlingame - Broadway Burlingame Grade Separation Project (previous link retitled)

Redwood City - Grade Separation Study FAQ | City of Redwood City - still considering several options

My updated list:

San Francisco, San Mateo Counties

• SF -- Mission Bay Dr, 16th St. -- no plans
• SF, South SF -- Mariposa St. - Airport Blvd. -- in service
• South SF -- Linden Ave., Scott St. -- planned
• San Bruno -- San Bruno Ave. - Angus Ave. -- in service
• Millbrae -- Center St., Hemlock Ave. -- no plans
• Millbrae -- Hillcrest Blvd., Millbrae Ave. -- in service
• Burlingame -- Broadway -- planned
• Burlingame, San Mateo -- Oak Grove Ave. - Bellevue Ave. -- no plans
• San Mateo -- Poplar Ave. - Tilton Ave. -- in service
• San Mateo -- 1st Ave. - 9th Ave. -- no plans
• San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos -- 25th Ave. - Howard Ave. -- in service
• Redwood City -- Whipple Ave. - Broadway -- planned
• Redwood City -- Jefferson Ave. -- in service
• Redwood City -- Maple St. - Main St. -- planned
• North Fair Oaks -- 5th Ave. -- in service
• Atherton -- Fair Oaks Ln, Watkins Ave. -- no plans
• Menlo Park -- Encinal Ave. -- no plans
• Menlo Park -- Glenwood Ave. - Ravenswood Ave. -- planned

Santa Clara County

• Palo Alto -- Palo Alto Ave. -- no plans
• Palo Alto -- University Ave., Embarcadero Rd. -- in service
• Palo Alto -- Churchill Ave. -- planned
• Palo Alto -- Oregon Expwy. -- in service
• Palo Alto -- Meadow Dr., Charleston Rd. -- planned
• Mountain View -- San Antonio Rd. -- in service
• Mountain View -- Rengstorff Ave. -- planned
• Mountain View -- Shoreline Blvd. -- in service
• Mountain View -- Castro St. -- planned
• Mountain View -- Whisman Rd. -- in service
• Sunnyvale -- Mary Ave. -- planned
• Sunnyvale -- Mathilda Ave. -- in service
• Sunnyvale -- Sunnyvale Ave. -- planned
• Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, San Jose -- Fair Oaks Ave. - San Carlos St. -- in service
• San Jose -- Auzerais Ave., W Virginia St. -- no plans
• San Jose -- Bird Ave. - Willow St. -- in service

Are many of the first grade separations under construction or planned soon at locations that have stations that are platform limited in length? Once short platform stations are made longer then more cars can be added to the Statler trains. Do we know what stations CA HSR is planning to stop at and do those stations already have longer platforms?

One would think with all the money spent, they would have upgraded the track to a passenger standard.

In San Mateo County, only the San Mateo grade separations are old. The rest were built from the 1990's to the present:

• 1995 -- San Carlos, North Fair Oaks (3)
• 1996 -- Millbrae (1)
• 1998 -- Redwood City (1)
• 2000 -- Belmont, San Carlos (3)
• 2014 -- San Bruno (3)
• 2021 -- San Mateo (3)

There was a burst in the 1990's and another burst in the 2010's.

The ones most likely to start construction in the next few years:

• Mountain View: Castro St.
• Burlingame: Broadway

west point wrote: ↑Wed Jul 26, 2023 11:29 pm Are many of the first grade separations under construction or planned soon at locations that have stations that are platform limited in length? Once short platform stations are made longer then more cars can be added to the Statler trains. Do we know what stations CA HSR is planning to stop at and do those stations already have longer platforms?

2019-10-03+JPB+Correspondence+as+of+October+1.pdf

• Standard length of platform: 700 ft - 200 m
• Expected for high-speed trains: 400 m - 1300 ft

From San Francisco to San José - California High Speed Rail they are expected to stop at Millbrae/SFO but nowhere else between SF and SJ. Redwood City has been mentioned in the past, but seems to have been dropped.

So it would likely only be Millbrae's platforms that would be lengthened for CAHSR trains.

David Benton wrote: ↑Thu Jul 27, 2023 5:09 am One would think with all the money spent, they would have upgraded the track to a passenger standard.

What counts as a passenger standard?

lpetrich wrote: ↑Thu Jul 27, 2023 6:41 am

David Benton wrote: ↑Thu Jul 27, 2023 5:09 am One would think with all the money spent, they would have upgraded the track to a passenger standard.

What counts as a passenger standard?

Evidently not a double (or more) tracked railroad mostly authorized for speeds of 79 MPH...

The Millbrae platforms are already pretty long, not sure that they'll need to extend anything there.

The Sunnyvale grade separation at Sunnyvale Ave seems insane to me as someone who used to live there. It would be highly disruptive to close that crossing.

Weekend service suspended between San Francisco and Millbrae:

Official info here: https://www.caltrain.com/status

Weekends of October 7-8 & October 14-15: No Train Service between San Francisco and Millbrae Stations

Weekend of October 21-22: No Train Service between Millbrae and Menlo Park