Caltrain has issued a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for a rail operator agreement which includes maintenance services and the support services.
The procedure is determined by the fact that the current contract with TransitAmerica Services (TASI) is expiring on June 30, 2027, and the staff must begin advancing a re-procurement effort for the transition to a new O&M agreement by July 1, 2027.
Joint Powers Board (JPB) purchased the Caltrain right of way in 1991 and assumed responsibility for operating the service in 1992 and Amtrak served as rail operator until Mau 2012. In September 2011, JPB awarded a new operating contract to TransitAmerica Services for a 5-year base term with 5 additional one-year options, which were exercised in 2017, allowing the contract to be extended to June 2022. In January 2021, the JPB further extended TASI’s contract through June 2027 to de-risk Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project (PCEP) completion and start-up of electrified service.
With PCEP substantially complete and initial electrified revenue service commencing in August 2024, Caltrain has begun to focus on competitively procuring the next rail operator agreement.
For this summer, Caltrain plans to develop the Request for Proposal (RFP) procedure and launch it this autumn. The contract is expected to be awarded in Q3 of 2026 and in July the contract will enter into effect.
The USD 2.7 billion Caltrain Modernisation programme included the installation of the Positive Train Control system and electrification of the 82 km line from the San Francisco terminus at 4th and King to a power substation south of Tamien station in San Jose. The project has been implemented by Caltrain, with its partners Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Balfour Beatty, allowing electric trains to replace diesel trains.
The electric train services were launched in September 2024 after successfully completed the first the train test in August, when an inaugural trip with the new electric trains from Stadler made their debut. The first tests under overhead contact system were carried out in the summer of 2023.
In January 2025, Caltrain announced that in the first three months of electric service, the ridership increased by 41% compared to the same three months in 2023 and continues to grow. Since the launch of electric service in September 2024, the agency has been reporting its best ridership numbers since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In December 2024, Caltrain had more than 588,000 passengers, a substantial increase from 416,000 in December 2023. Average weekday ridership stood at just over 24,000, a 39% increase from last December, following October’s increase of 38% and November’s 24% increase. Weekend ridership is also standing strong since service was doubled at launch, with Saturdays seeing a 62% increase and Sundays an 85% increase from last December, bringing it to nearly pre-pandemic levels.
Also in January, Caltrain published its 2024 Customer Satisfaction Survey, with the rail agency receiving an impressive overall satisfaction rating of 4.02 out of 5, even though the survey was taken prior to the launch of its major electrification and enhanced schedule.
Conductors received the highest ratings of 4.35, with safety at stations and onboard close behind, rated at 4.17 and 4.33 respectively. Station satisfaction increased from 4.0 in 2023 to 4.07, while onboard satisfaction increased from 4.05 to 4.08.
78% of passengers said they were satisfied with their overall experience, in line with the results from 2023.
In 2017, Caltrain awarded Stadler a contract for the delivery of 16 Kiss electric multiple units, and later the order was expanded to 23 trainsets. In December 2024, the two companies signed a Technical Support and Spare Supply Agreement (TSSSA), which ensures the efficiency of Caltrain’s EMU fleet.
To deliver better and sustainable services, in 2023 the California Transportation Commission approved the financing for one battery-electric train from Stadler to operate the Caltrain line. The agreement also includes the provision of maintenance services and charging facility upgrades. This initiative is part of Caltrain commitment to deliver zero-emission transport services on the non-electrified tracks.
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