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Caltrain released its new electric train service schedule on Monday, introducing a new numbering system and more frequent train stops that will begin on Sept. 21.
The electric trains, which have been in the works for decades, went public on Aug. 10 and Caltrain has since begun incorporating more and more into rotation until they slowly replace the old trains.
In the new schedule, trains are set to arrive every 15 to 20 minutes during weekday rush hours and every 30 minutes in the middle of day, during evenings and throughout the weekends.
Currently, trains headed northbound from Palo Alto arrive every hour on the weekends and every 15 to 20 minutes during weekday rush hours.
Palo Alto riders who take the express train northbound during the week will stop at additional stations in San Mateo and South San Francisco, but the ride will still be faster overall, said Dan Lieberman, Caltrain spokesperson.
Service times for the slower “local” train that makes every stop between San Jose and San Francisco will also be reduced from 100 minutes to 77, according to a Caltrain statement.
While the new trains aren’t faster, they can accelerate and decelerate faster, which will cut down on service times and make the express trip from San Jose to San Francisco in less than an hour, according to the statement.
Service patterns will also be “simplified” by having trains arrive at regular intervals, allowing passengers to more-easily remember the schedule, according to the statement.
In its new numbering system, northbound trains will continue to be odd-numbered and southbound trains even-numbered, but figures will now represent different service patterns:
- 100s – Weekday Local
- 400s – Weekday Limited
- 500s – Weekday Express
- 600s – Weekend Local
- 800s – South County Connector
- 900s – Special
South of San Jose, riders can take diesel trains up to the San Jose Diridon Station, then transfer to the new electric trains, shaving off 20 minutes of their commute, according to the statement.
Caltrain says South Bay riders will now “ride more, wait less,” thanks to the new electric fleet.
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