California Unveils New Fully Electric Trains

California has unveiled its new fully electric trains for the Caltrain commuter service between the Bay Area and San Jose, which until now has used diesel trains.
The electrification of Caltrain is a part of California’s broader project to build high-speed rail, connecting the Bay Area to the rest of the state. The planned high-speed trains will eventually run on CalTrain’s electrified tracks.
Governor Gavin Newsom emphasized the significance of this project, stating, “High-speed rail linked to an electrified Caltrain will not just get Californians where they’re going faster, it’s connecting communities and driving economic growth.”
Additionally, the new Caltrain trains will offer faster, quieter, and smoother rides, with a host of onboard amenities such as Wi-Fi, improved climate controls, and redesigned accessible bathrooms.
The $2.4 billion project, which began in 2017, has been paid for by $1.3 billion in state funding, including $700 million from the high-speed rail initiative, and other funding from the federal government.
Limited passenger service began on Sunday with full passenger service slated to begin next month.
The transition from diesel to electric trains is expected to bring about significant environmental and operational benefits.
According to Caltrain spokesperson Dan Lieberman, the new electric trains will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 250,000 metric tons annually, which is equivalent to removing 55,000 cars from the road.
The high-speed rail, which aims to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles via the Central Valley, will share tracks with Caltrain on the Peninsula.
Lieberman told NBC Bay Area that the double use of the project is what helped it get funding.
“High-speed rail has helped us get the funding for Caltrain because eventually they’ll be running on the same tracks,” he said.
Voters first approved funding for the wider high-speed rail project in 2008.
The first part of Phase 1 of the project, called the Initial Operating Segment, is the Central Valley section, which is currently under construction.
It will consist of 171 miles of electrified high-speed railroad between Merced and Bakersfield. That section is currently expected to be operational between 2030 and 2033.
Officials now estimate that the Bakersfield to Merced line alone could cost about $35 billion to finish and that the Los Angeles to San Francisco route could cost $100 billion more.
Construction began in 2015, with $11.2 billion spent on planning and construction as of June 2023.
As of now, 119 miles of the Initial Operating Segment are under construction at 25 active construction sites in the Central Valley.
In July, the California High Speed Rail Authority successfully environmentally signed off a section of proposed track between Los Angeles and the Central Valley, meaning the entire railroad connecting Los Angeles to the Bay Area has now been cleared.