Against a backdrop of a thick layer of fog, a row of brand-new Caltrain cars in elegant red and white stood at the San Francisco station. In between stood a few old trains, boxy, silver and emblazoned with faded logos.
Caltrain welcomed the public on the new electric trains for the first time at a VIP event Saturday morning, hosting local and state politicians such as Governor Gavin Newsom on the “leaner” and “quieter” line that will run from San Francisco to San Jose.
Starting Monday, Caltrain will put two electric trains into service each week through Sept. 21, when the new trains will completely replace the diesel fleet, said Robert Scarpino, Caltrain’s director of track maintenance.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed opened the event by praising the individuals who raised billions of dollars for the electrification project, including the Biden-Harris administration.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the trains running and rumbling, but we won’t hear them coming because they’re so quiet,” she said.
Other officials praised the pioneering electrification project – the “first in North America” – that will improve air quality and help the state meet its emissions goals.
State Assemblyman Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) said the new trains would get people excited about using public transportation again.
“Caltrain brings back sexiness,” he said to cheers.
After Newsom and Representative Nancy Pelosi finished their speeches and praised a “new generation” that would emerge in California, the participants boarded the trains.
With ventilation throughout the train, vinyl seats, free Wi-Fi and numerous power outlets, the new trains are the result of a masterpiece from two decades of new transport concepts.
As the train quietly set off, passengers applauded and some shouted, “So smooth!” and “It’s quiet!”
For example, the connecting doors between carriages can be opened at the push of a button and passengers can – unlike on older trains – board a new carriage without hearing the typical loud screeching and hissing of the air.
Passenger Matthew Quevedo, who used to take the Caltrain from San Jose to San Francisco every day, said he appreciates classic trains, but this one “looks good.”
“It’s beautiful and everything we wanted,” he said.
Because of financing and construction issues, Caltrain officials currently cannot predict when the electrified trains will begin running outside Bay Area cities, Scarpino said.
“But this is a huge achievement,” said Scarpino, staring out the window of the new train.
