That was never going to be BART anyway. Rail, probably Caltrain, may still eventually happen.
Dumbarton? I thought that hinged upon Meta (Facebook) spearheading that plan which fell apart when they went to a largely hybrid and reduced their workforce post Covid.
I would think a Dumbarton rail crossing would have value as regional rail.
Altamont Commuter Express From Stockton and Tracy to Redwood City and Palo Alto. It wouldn't go all the way to SF since Stockton has a more direct route for Amtrak to Oakland and Pleasanton has the BART blue line through the transbay tunnel. But there is no direct transit route from the more affordable inland fringe suburbs (Tracy) to the most absurdly expensive and NIMBY penninsula areas like Palo Alto.
The downside is that a lot of effort would be required to increase speeds on the inland Altamont Pass sections to make it more useful for longer trips. Obviously a completely straight bridge could have trains going 79 mph no sweat and the trains can also go fast once they get over the hills and are in the Tracy area.
^ I regret not taking Caltrain at least up to SoMa and back to try it out. Remind me of the trains in Europe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by llamaorama
I would think a Dumbarton rail crossing would have value as regional rail.
Altamont Commuter Express From Stockton and Tracy to Redwood City and Palo Alto. It wouldn't go all the way to SF since Stockton has a more direct route for Amtrak to Oakland and Pleasanton has the BART blue line through the transbay tunnel. But there is no direct transit route from the more affordable inland fringe suburbs (Tracy) to the most absurdly expensive and NIMBY penninsula areas like Palo Alto.
The downside is that a lot of effort would be required to increase speeds on the inland Altamont Pass sections to make it more useful for longer trips. Obviously a completely straight bridge could have trains going 79 mph no sweat and the trains can also go fast once they get over the hills and are in the Tracy area.
Even if there was an ACE spur somewhere in Newark that connected across the Dumbarton rail bridge to East Palo Alto or even Menlo Park, that would be a game changer. Fortunately for now, at least in tech, there are shuttles that take people across the bridges; I would take ours from FRE to MPK pretty regularly to avoid the tolls.
Caltrain Downtown Rail Extension contract awarded
By Railway Gazette International 22 August 2024
USA: The Transbay Joint Powers Authority has selected the AECOM-led Portal Connectors team to provide programme management and construction management services for the long-planned extension of Caltrain commuter rail services into central San Francisco.
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The Portal Connectors team will be responsible for delivering a range of programme management and project supervision services, supporting the authority in obtaining FTA funding, finalising the procurement strategy and activating collaborative delivery models, as well as designing and building the underground stations and integrating The Portal with existing rail operations.
‘AECOM has been proud to support the TJPA since the inception of the Transbay Program, and we’re thrilled to help deliver the next phase of this transformative investment’, commented Mark Southwell, Chief Executive of AECOM’s global Transportation business. ‘Our world class tunnelling capabilities and fully integrated service offerings address all aspects of large-scale tunnel projects, making us well positioned to deliver this crucial work that will serve as a lynchpin for the region’s long-term transit needs.’
When will CAHSR trains be ready? They could run one or two on this line for press instead of possibly waiting till IOS testing. That's if Caltrain electrification doesn't need anymore upgrades before HSR since it's "blended".
Could paint one of these DMU's in the CAHSR scheme, but i'm sure it would be a fake scandal.
HSR trainsets haven't even been awarded yet and the RFP having only gone out in April. No direct evidence but I think the feeling in the air is Siemens will likely be the favored vendor.
HSR trainsets haven't even been awarded yet and the RFP having only gone out in April. No direct evidence but I think the feeling in the air is Siemens will likely be the favored vendor.
That would be a good choice considering they manufacture their trains in the Sacramento area. Their website says that the facility has already made 3,300 rail cars for the US and Canadian markets. Keep it local!
That would be a good choice considering they manufacture their trains in the Sacramento area. Their website says that the facility has already made 3,300 rail cars for the US and Canadian markets. Keep it local!
Keeping it local is usually favored by "local" politicans and taxpayers. But with significant Federal funds being used to purchase these HSR trainsets, The Feds will require a competitive bidding process, and I believe several train manufactures will submit bids: Siemens and Alstrom being the most likely. The Feds will have a requirement for being mostly USA built, not specifically California built. Amtrak chose Alstrom for the NEC, and Brightline chose Siemens for their Las Vegas line. Both vendors meeting built in the USA standard. It will be interesting to find out which vendor will win.
Brightline West chose Siemens likely because they had inside knowledge that CHSRA favored the Siemens Pioneer 220 trainsets even before the formal RFP.
Speaking of Siemens, Muni Metro uses the Siemens S200, manufactured in Florin, CA.
And speaking of Alstom, they manufacture BART's rolling stock, now that they've bought Bombardier. They get transported all the way from Plattsburgh, NY.
Caltrain to Celebrate Full Electrification This Weekend with Launch Party and Free Rides
09/16/2024
The rail agency will hold launch parties as service goes 100% electric from San Francisco to San Jose
In honor of Caltrain launching its new electrified service schedule this weekend, the agency is holding celebratory events in every city along the corridor all weekend long. Caltrain service is free of charge both days, allowing the public to easily attend the main events in Palo Alto on Saturday, Sept 21, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., and in San Mateo on Sunday, Sept. 22, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., as well as the many other events hosted by local cities and other transportation agencies.
The weekend’s events will feature a wide range of things to see, including food trucks, DJs, live music, dance troupes, speeches from Caltrain supporters, railroad museum exhibits, Caltrain giveaways and a flash mob doing the electric slide. Half hourly free service this weekend will make it easy to visit all of these events without the hassle of driving and parking.
This weekend’s launch will see fully electrified passenger service running between San Francisco and San Jose for the first time in this rail corridor’s 160-year history. Caltrain riders will enjoy faster and more frequent service, with 16 stations receiving trains every 15 to 20 minutes during peak hours, weekend trains arriving twice hourly and express service from San Francisco to San Jose in under an hour.
BART completes $1.5B earthquake retrofitting project of Transbay Tube, system
By Gloria Rodriguez
Monday, September 16, 2024 2:25PM
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- BART announced Monday morning that the Transbay Tube is now retrofitted for an earthquake.
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"The Transbay Tube now has a stronger steel lining," said BART General Manager Bob Powers. "It has a more powerful and robust pumping system that will protect itself against even stronger earthquakes, the type of earthquake that is projected to occur only once in 1,000 years."
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This closes out BART's Earthquake Safety Program, which retrofitted more than 74 miles of the original track, 34 original stations and other infrastructure. It cost nearly $1.5 billion and part of it was paid by a $980 million bond measure passed in 2004.
The beginning of a new era! The Caltrain KISS EMUs have entered full service as of today.
Some photos from today's Caltrain electric service launch party held at the Palo Alto station. I gotta say I was really impressed by the new trains. They are super smooth and quiet (aside from the annoying beeping) and the interiors are super nice. The free onboard wifi worked nicely and I was able to finalize my plans for my next trip.
The Bay Area rail fan community really came out in droves today. Props to Caltrain for putting on a great event. Hopefully ridership continues to creep back up as service improves, and the community sees that these investments in transit infrastructure are worthwhile.
"Trains are up and running on California's high-speed rail route"
I mentioned earlier that I'd like to see the Authority lean a bit on this for advertising, or just in general use this as press for the HSR system. The blended parts are part of it, so why not?
"Trains are up and running on California's high-speed rail route"
I mentioned earlier that I'd like to see the Authority lean a bit on this for advertising, or just in general use this as press for the HSR system. The blended parts are part of it, so why not?
If it were to run, I wonder how fast will it take to go from SF to San Jose with a stop at Milbrae on existing tracks?
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