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Caltrain’s average weekend ridership rose to 21,210 passengers in fiscal year 2026, about 50% higher than 2019 levels, as the railroad continues to recover from pandemic-era declines, the agency announced on Thursday.
The agency said weekend ridership increased 40.6% from the previous fiscal year, following the introduction of electric trains in September 2024 and a more than doubling of weekend service from 32 to 66 trains a day.
July set a new monthly ridership record of 1.32 million passengers, while an average of 32,000 riders traveled on Saturdays, according to the agency.
Weekday ridership also climbed, reaching an average of 40,800 in fiscal 2026, up 37.5% from the previous year and sitting at 81.6% of 2019 levels.
San Francisco Station recorded a 41% increase in weekend ridership, while 22nd Street posted the largest station-level gain, at 59%. Several stations, including South San Francisco, Hayward Park, Lawrence, and Santa Clara, have surpassed their 2019 weekday ridership levels.
Despite the gains, Caltrain faces budget pressures tied to changing commuting patterns and work-from-home trends, Caltrain said.
The agency has warned that without additional funding, potential cuts could include closing more than a third of its stations, eliminating weekend service and reducing train frequency.
