Caltrain

Caltrain is a commuter rail service operating between San Francisco and San Jose, CA. It is governed by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board ("JPB"), and service is operated under contract by TransitAmerica Services.

History

Service on the San Francisco-San Jose corridor began as early as 1863, operated by the San Francisco & San Jose Railroad (later by Southern Pacific Railroad) under the name "Peninsula Commute". Ridership began declining after 1945, and by 1977 Southern Pacific was looking to discontinue the service.

To preserve the service, local communities began to subsidize SP's operations; in 1980, Caltrans began contracting directly with SP to subsidize the service. Caltrans purchased new equipment for the service in 1985, and the service was rebranded as CalTrain. The JPB was formed in 1987 to directly manage the line.

From 1985 to 1992, the service was operated by SP under contract and owned by Caltrans. From 1992 to 2012, the service was operated by Amtrak under contract, and owned by the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board. The Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board maintains ownership of CalTrain, and since 2012, the TransitAmerica Services, Inc. (TASI) operates the service.

Fleet Roster

Locomotives

Active

Fleet Number(s)	Thumbnail	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Engine Horsepower	Gearing Top Speed	HEP Generator	Notes
503, 504		1974	EMD	MP15DC				Ex-UP 1290, 1289. Used in work train/yard switcher service. 503 retired by March 2024
900-901, 904-906, 908-909, 911-913, 915-917		1985	EMD	F40PH-2CAT			CAT	Overhauled by Alstom in 1999. HEP generators converted to CAT generators.
902, 903, 907, 910, 914		1985	EMD	F40PH-2				Overhauled by Alstom in 1999. HEP Generators retained to original gear drive from the engine.
918-919		1987	EMD	F40PH-2CAT			CAT	Overhauled by Alstom in 1999. HEP generators converted to CAT generators.
920-922		1998	MPI	F40PH-2C			Cummins	920 wrapped for Operation Life Saver.
923-928		2003	MPI	MP36PH-3C	3600 hp		CAT	Purchased for Baby Bullet service.

Retired

Fleet Number(s)	Thumbnail	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Engine Horsepower	Gearing Top Speed	HEP Generator	Notes
500, 501		1959	EMD	GP9-R				Sold to Motive Power Resources in late 2012.
505		1978-81	Budd	SPV-2000				Track Geometry car.

Passenger cars

Active

Fleet Number(s)	Thumbnail	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Seating Capacity	Notes
112-118		2002	Bombardier	BiLevel Cab cars	114	Ex-Sounder 112-118; purchased in 2002.
119-120		2008	Bombardier	BiLevel Cab cars	114
164-165, 167, 169-173, 175-182		1997	Bombardier	BiLevel Coaches	149	Ex-Metrolink; purchased in 2015.
219-226, 229-230		2002	Bombardier	BiLevel Coaches	144	Ex-Sounder 219-226, 229-230; purchased in 2002.
231-236		2008	Bombardier	BiLevel Coaches	140
3800-3825		1985	Nippon Sharyo	Gallery Coaches	142	Equipped with luggage area. Overhauled by Alstom between 2000-2002.
3826-3835		1985	Nippon Sharyo	Gallery Coaches	108	Converted to bike cars in 2011. Overhauled by Alstom between 2000-2002.
3836-3851		1985-1987	Nippon Sharyo	Gallery Coaches	148	Overhauled by Alstom between 2000-2002.
3852-3865		1999-2000	Nippon Sharyo	Gallery Coaches	120
4000-4020		1985	Nippon Sharyo	Gallery Cab cars	97	Overhauled by Alstom between 2000-2002.
4021-4026		2000	Nippon Sharyo	Gallery Cab cars	78

Retired

Fleet Number(s)	Thumbnail	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Seating Capacity	Notes
400-403, 406-407, 410-411, 413, 415, 425, 428		1952-53	Budd	RDC Coaches		Ex-VRE; purchased in 2000. Née-MBTA. Demotored and converted to trailers in 1970s by Morrison-Knusden. Sold to Grand Canyon Railway in 2005.
1400, 1406		1952-53	Budd	RDC Cab cars		Ex-VRE; purchased in 2000. Née-MBTA. Demotored and converted to trailers in 1970s by Morrison-Knusden. Sold to Grand Canyon Railway in 2005.

Electric Multiple Units

Every EMU set consists of 2 end cab cars that lead the sets and 5 mid set passenger cars. There are currently 23 sets (46 cab cars and 115 passenger cars). The numbering scheme for these sets consists of several different number series. The cab cars are numbered 301-346 while the passenger cars are numbered in the 3000, 3100, 3200, 3300, and 3400 series. The sets are always numbered so that the numbers count up from the number of the lower numbered cab car to the high numbered cab car. Passenger car number patterns are always 3xx1, 3xx2, 3xx3, 3xx5, and 3xx6 in order from the cab car with the lower fleet number to the cab car with the higher fleet number. Also, the passenger cars are always paired with cab cars of the same 2nd digit in their fleet numbers. 300 series cab cars are always paired with 3000 series cars, 310 series cab cars are paired with 3100 series cars, 320 series cab cars are paired with 3200 series cars, 330 series cab cars are paired with 3300 series cars, and 340 series cab cars are paired with 3400 series cars. You will notice these patterns in the fleet listings of every EMU set.

Active

Fleet number(s)	Thumbnail	Year	Manufacturer	Model	Seating Capacity	Notes
301-346		2022	Stadler	KISS		23 7-car trainsets.