Public comment sought on Caltrain electrification Public comment sought on Caltrain electrification (May 12, 2004)

By Marion Softky
Almanac Staff Writer

People who have concerns about the impacts of electrifying the Peninsula Caltrain line from Gilroy to San Francisco have until Tuesday, May 25 to submit their comments on the draft environmental impact report.

The report analyzes the impacts of converting trains on the 150-year-old railroad from diesel to electric power. It is available at local libraries and on the Web at www.caltrain.com.

Over the last month, more than 100 people have commented on the report at four public meetings from San Francisco to Morgan Hill. "At least 70 percent have been in favor," said Caltrain spokeswoman Janet McGovern.

Transit advocates view electrification as key to making Caltrain into a truly modern railroad that will help reduce traffic by drawing riders from their cars.

The report lists advantages of electric trains:

** They can accelerate and decelerate faster, and reduce travel times between 3 and 12 percent.

** They are quieter than diesel trains. This difference will become more important as Caltrain increases its service from 76 to 98 trains per day over the next 15 years.

** Air quality will improve because electricity creates less pollution than diesel engines; fast, quiet, reliable trains are expected to reduce traffic.

Electrification would carry a price tag ranging from $602 million to $866 million, depending on what equipment is changed. Cheapest is to replace diesel locomotives with electric locomotives. Replacing passenger cars with self-propelled cars, called electric multiple units, would cost $830 million when service starts in 2008.

Funding is in place for the first $602 million, according to the report. San Mateo County's Measure A half-cent sales tax for transportation would furnish $108 million; Santa Clara's, $237 million.

The main long-term impacts of the new service addressed by the report would be the poles and wires needed to provide power to the trains. These could be partially mitigated by the design and placement of the poles, control of lighting, and placement of screening and landscaping, the report suggests.

After the May 25 deadline for comments, the consultants who authored the report will respond to the comments in a final environmental-impact report. This will come to the three-county Joint Powers Board, which runs Caltrain, some time next fall. The board plans to approve the report and get federal approval by the end of the year, Ms. McGovern said.

Meanwhile, train service should improve substantially when the Baby Bullet express trains enter service on June 7.

Written comments may be submitted through May 25 via e-mail to electrification@caltrain.com, or by regular mail to Caltrain Electrification, 1250 San Carlos Ave., San Carlos, CA 94070.

For more information, visit the Web site, or call 508-6368.

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