Yesterday, the Bay Area’s Caltrain rail system sent a letter to the California High Speed Rail Authority that drew a “line on the tracks” for what they would accept. Last night, a Caltrain representative expanded further on that position.
In an evening meeting at the SamTrans headquarters building between Seamus Murphy, Caltrain’s government affairs manager, members of the San Carlos City Council and local residents, Caltrain’s position was carefully explained. What Caltrain wants is a system that will create an electrified corridor that will allow them to operate daily service between San Jose and San Francisco on the same tracks that would be used by proposed high speed rail trains. According to the letter sent by Caltrain yesterday, the blended system “is the only approach we are willing to embrace.”
Caltrain’s commitment to this position will likely be given the acid test. The reason is that under Caltrain’s “blended” approach, they would operate 6 trains per hour in each direction and High Speed Rail would run 2. This could be expanded to 4 high speed trains if passing tracks were built in the mid-Peninsula, a difficult scenario since doing so would require widening the right of way. Several Peninsula cities have already filed lawsuits over this and other issues surrounding the ambitious high speed project.
Perhaps even more significant is how Caltrain’s position would require a huge concession by the High Speed Rail Authority powers who are seeking to run 9 to 12 trains per hour, not 2 to 4. This would mean that trains from Southern California would zoom up the state at 200+ miles per hour and then come to a screeching halt in San Jose. Most passengers bound for San Francisco (and let’s face it, that’s most likely where they’ll be headed) would have to disembark and take Caltrain the rest of the way along the shared tracks. That’s going to be a hard sell.
Murphy also described another thorny problem last night that will be tough to resolve without spending a lot of money. Right now, there are at least 40 at-grade crossings along the Caltrain tracks. By increasing the number of trains running along the tracks per hour, the crossing gates will be down a lot longer than they are now. Backed up traffic across the Peninsula is not a pleasant vision that local officials are eager to embrace. Yet, it’s still an open question as to whether there will be enough money for converting the grade crossings.
Behind all of this is that Caltrain is seeking to maximize the opportunity for its system at a time when it desperately needs to get its financial house in better shape. According to Murphy, Caltrain’s current $40 million annual subsidy could be cut in half if they could electrify their system. By demanding a blended approach that uses existing tracks with High Speed Rail, Caltrain also avoids the wrath of local residents who are clearly nervous about the impact of increased rail service in their communities. Emotions are already running high, as evidenced by one representative of a San Carlos neighborhood association, who left last night’s meeting abruptly after openly complaining that it was not the dialogue his members were expecting.
This latest move by Caltrain is part of a broader effort by transportation groups in Northern and Southern California to pressure the High Speed Rail Authority to embrace a more rapid deployment of the Bay Area and Los Angeles regional segments of the 800 mile track. Now it will be the Authority’s turn to decide if they’re willing to spend money on the “bread” before they pay for the “meat” in the high speed sandwich.
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