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If a regional transit funding measure, Senate Bill 63, on the November 2026 ballot fails and no other revenue source is identified, Caltrain would be forced to make significant service reductions, the agency said at a recent board meeting.
Potential cuts outlined to the board include eliminating weekend service, reducing trains to once an hour, ending service by 9 p.m., closing more than one-third of stations and shortening segments of the line. Caltrain officials said these steps would be necessary to address ongoing structural budget shortfalls as pandemic-era travel patterns continue to shift.
This comes after the agency raised its base fare by 25 cents on July 1 to help stabilize its finances. At the time, Caltrain said the fare increase was one of several steps already underway to manage rising operating costs.
The warning comes despite recent gains. Ridership has rebounded over the past year, particularly on weekends, and a recent customer survey reported record-high satisfaction with the system following its move to electric trains. But without a stable funding source, officials said Caltrain would not be able to maintain current service levels.
The board is expected to review detailed budget scenarios in 2026.
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Didn’t Caltrain already get a 30 year dedicated sales tax increase in 2020 ? … https://rescuecaltrain.org/
Yes. Caltrain’s budget went from $150M in 2019 to $238M in 2024, about a 58% increase. About half of that can be blamed on inflation. Right now, according to the budget, the electric trains appear to cost quite a bit more than the old diesels in terms of electricity costs, maintenance, and insurance. Plus Caltrain is running more trains than it did in 2019, including twice-hourly weekend service.
Measure RR contributes about $120M, fares and other income contribute $63M (used to be over $120M before the pandemic).
No wonder Abe koga rushed her sales tax this year. There’s a new sales tax initiative it seems every other year! Take a number!
No worries- the Bullet Train is coming and will be the savior of train travel in California! Thank you, Newsom and Pelosi, and all you other boondogglers…