Caltrain fare hikes start this week Caltrain fare hikes start this week (June 29, 2005)

Starting Friday, July 1, riders on Caltrain will see their fares go up by an average of 17.5 percent; that's about a quarter for every zone they ride through.

The fare increase is one part of a major set of changes designed to plug a deficit of $13.6 million.

The Caltrain board is responding to the deficit by adding trains trips, and by operating on a new timetable effective August 1 that should reduce the average commute time by 15 minutes, according to spokeswoman Jayme Kunz.

The new service includes 10 more weekday trains trips, raising the total from 86 to 96, and adding 12 more of the popular Baby Bullet express train trips for a total of 22. Baby Bullets are the agency's best money makers, bringing in $2 for every dollar generated by a local train, Ms. Kunz said.

While Atherton and Burlingame will both lose weekday service -- to be partially made up by shuttles -- Redwood City, Menlo Park, and several other stations will become stops for some Baby Bullets, allowing commuters to speed up their rides.

While there will be no more purely local trains making all stops from San Francisco to San Jose, patrons can transfer from trains that make some local stops to express trains to speed up their rides.

For full fare and schedule information, call 1-800-660-4287, or visit caltrain.com.

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