Caltrain Electrification

That looks like the wheelchair lifts you see on buses, so it almost certainly extends from the train itself.

Every car has two wheelchair spots in it, so it's unclear how they intend to fill those if only one car can actually allow someone in a wheelchair to board. Welcome to California, the most inclusive state in the country, in 2024. Absolutely nuts.

Caltrain is adding mini-high platforms at 8 stations to avoid needing to use manual lifts at these stations.

The EMUs are designed to work at full length high level platforms (so they can share platforms with CAHSR), so Caltrain could begin the process of adopting full length high platforms once the Gallery cars and Bombardier cars are removed from service.

The EMUs as shipped have door plugs for high level platforms. But as something purchased over 30 years after the ADA was passed, they have to be accessible to riders today, not at some distant point in the future.

I also highly doubt Caltrain is going to pony up the money to build high level platforms. They are 100% expecting CAHSR to foot that bill. So maybe it will happen in two decades? Back in 2015, their plan was to go to high levels at only three stations: SF, SJ, and Millbrae. Conveniently, the only stations where CAHSR is expected to stop. Apparently a plan to convert the stations to 25" was dropped at that time as well. One thing to keep in mind is that Santa Clara has to remain compatible with Amtrak's California cars and ACE's bilevels.

In the meantime, $4M was blown on constructing platforms that provide only a token level of accessibility and were only really necessary for less than a year?

Has anyone measured the height above the top of rail yet? From the photo provided, those mini-high platforms are not the standard 48 inches. They appear to me they match the low floor height of the new Stadler EMUs.

Correct, about 25 inches or so.

The only access to NEC high level platforms on these trains is from door plugs that will have to be replaced with real doors once the high level platforms actually exist.

lol I managed to find this in Caltrain's brochure:

Q: Will all the cars be ADA accessible?
A: Yes, all cars will meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and will be accessible to persons using wheelchairs and other mobility devices.
Q: How will passengers using a wheelchair or mobility device board the new electric trains?
A: Similar to the process today, passengers using a wheelchair or mobility device will be able to use the mini-high wheelchair ramp or the mobile platform wheelchair lift to board the new electric trains.

https://www.caltrain.com/media/21596/

The most liberal and inclusive state (and perhaps metro) in the nation, ladies and gentlemen. Meanwhile an agency on the opposite coast has somehow managed to make 20 stations accessible in the last 4 years.

electricron wrote: ↑Wed Sep 04, 2024 9:36 pm Has anyone measured the height above the top of rail yet? From the photo provided, those mini-high platforms are not the standard 48 inches. They appear to me they match the low floor height of the new Stadler EMUs.

The mini highs are the standard height of mini highs in areas where the Bombardier bi-level cars are used.

Has anyone seen any of the new trains in action? Or is it still mostly the old ones?

I tried to get the schedules into a more compute-friendly format from the PDF and HTML documents, without much success, though I might have had more success with the source code of the HTML version.

So I contented myself for looking for patterns.

The weeknight trains depart SF at 8:21 pm, 8:50 pm, 9:14 pm, 9:50 pm, 10:14 pm, 10:44 pm, 12:03 am

I looked for patterns in those numbers, but without success.

I also looked for patterns in the skip-stop service of weekdays. I found it hard to find any patterns in the old schedules; there are four of them, including the express one. The new one is easier, with limited one that has stopping at all the stations between Menlo Park and Santa Clara, but skipping the stops that the express one skips north of there.

The trains are also regularly scheduled, with an all-stops train every half-hour during both peak and off-peak times. One out of every two of them stop at Tamien. During peak times there are four limiteds and four expresses, scheduled in between those trains, and one each per hour.

The Gilroy trains are timed to meet two each of the limiteds and expresses.

A much nicer schedule.

From yesterday, on X-witter:

Caltrain on X: "For those hoping to say goodbye ..." / X

For those hoping to say goodbye to the Gallery cars or F40s, we aren't able to really set a "final train" with specific equipment. Priority is fleet management & 9/21 rollout.

You will have to find your train & say goodbye on your own. Please remain behind the yellow line.

Then,
Caltrain on X: "BREAKING: ...!" / X

BREAKING: The FINAL Gallery + F40 train will leave San Francisco tomorrow at 7:36 PM, as Southbound 132.

Go say goodbye!

No further updates, however, and Caltrain's site only mentions its launch party of its new service this coming weekend.

Caltrain on X: "Tomorrow we begin a new chapter with electrification, but today we will say thank you. Thank you diesel trains for your service! (pic link)" / X

The picture shows two of the gallery-car trainsets.

It won't be the compete end of diesel service, only between SF and SJ. What rolling stock will Caltrain use between SJ and Gilroy? The old gallery cars? The Baby Bullets?

Gilroy could be an ideal route for Airo type trains in the future to go thru Frisco to Gilroy.

lpetrich wrote: ↑Fri Sep 20, 2024 8:11 pm It won't be the compete end of diesel service, only between SF and SJ. What rolling stock will Caltrain use between SJ and Gilroy? The old gallery cars? The Baby Bullets?

Looking at Caltrain's equipment roster, most likely the Bombardier built BiLevel cars will remain, just based on age.
The newest Galley car entered service in 2000, making them at least 24 years old. Per Wiki, all 93 of them should be retired from service by the end of 2024.
The newest Bombardier BiLevel car entered service in 2015, 16 trailers less than 10 years old. There are 25 more, including trailers and bike cabs, that entered 2002 or later. Per Wiki, all 41 will remain in service past 2024.
As for the KISS EMUs, they have ordered 23 EMU train sets with 2 cab cars sandwiching 5 trailer cars. Plus one BEMU trainset with 4 cars, not sure if the cars are cabs, trailers, or both? Maybe it is a test vehicle for possible Gilroy services?
And if you are wondering about locomotives, all 23 F40PH-2 locomotives per Wiki will be retiring by the end of 2024.
Remaining in service past 2024 will be 6 MP-36PH-3 road diesels, 2 MP15DC diesel switchers, and 2 AEM-7AC electric locomotives.
Should be enough locomotives and cars to handle the SJ to Gilroy services.

The launch parties: The Future of Caltrain is Here | Caltrain
Oran V on X: "Caltrain is ..." / X

Caltrain is 160 years old this year! It is oldest continually operating railway west of the Mississippi.

The first steam train between San Francisco and San Jose ran on January 16, 1864. Today, September 21, 2024, is the first day all trains in this corridor are electric.

with four pictures of the new trains.

Rep. Anna G. Eshoo on X: "All aboard! (vid link)" / X - one of the new cab cars is named after that Congresswoman

Cindy Chavez on X: " All aboard the Anna Eshoo train! @Caltrain has named one of their first electric trains after @RepAnnaEshoo because of her longtime advocacy for safer, quieter, faster, and zero emission trains. 32 years in Congress! Thank you so much for all you have done, Congresswoman! (pix link)i" / X with 3 pictures

Seema Patel on X: "Why am I teary over a train?? My 7yo asked what’s going to happen to the diesel @Caltrain now and I told him they were going to take the diesel trains to live on a farm where they could spend the rest of their days frolicking and driving kids around. (vid link)" / X
The video is of the final diesel trainset going southward at a grade crossing. It is a F40 pulling some gallery cars.

Ansel on X: "The last @Caltrain diesel from SF - ever. Another chapter of the history books closed. (links)" / X
The final diesel trainset's locomotive, then that trainset departing SF.

OOPSIE!

Click on the link in blue, from the SF Gate…
Power outage forces huge delays on Caltrain's first all-electric weekday