Caltrain outlines future business plan

Caltrain earlier this week released a draft of its business plan for the next 20 years of commuter-rail service in California. 

The draft 2024 Service Vision, the first phase of development of a business plan, outlines plans to improve frequency, sustainability and connectivity. 

To do so, Caltrain plans to operate eight trains per direction, per hour and increase off-peak and weekend services. The plan also outlines adding end-to-end, electrified service from Gilroy to San Francisco in both directions. 

“This increased frequency, paired with longer trains, would massively expand capacity to nearly 180,000 riders per day,” Caltrain officials said in a press release. 

The plan also calls for ensuring Caltrain is ready to expand and integrate into a regional rail network, including an extension to downtown San Francisco, a potential renewed rail corridor across the Dumbarton Bridge in Newark and enhancements at Diridon Station in San Jose. 

Caltrain also outlines the possibility of a future shared corridor with high-speed rail, and considers opportunities presented by a second Transbay crossing, expanded service to the Monterey Peninsula and investments along the Altamont Corridor Express and Capital Corridor services.

Additionally, the plan includes a detailed assessment of Caltrain’s organizational structure and lays out options for how it can evolve to meet the demands of the system, as well as reiterates the ongoing need for a dedicated funding source to help provide the resources needed to sustain and grow operations.

Caltrain's board will discuss the business plan and long range service vision on Aug. 1.  After the board adopts the service vision, as early as October, staff will complete the business plan by early 2020, agency officials said.