Caltrain provides frequent train service between San Jose and San
Francisco, including stopping at many Peninsula communities. Caltrain also offers Baby Bullet express service between San Francisco and San Jose with stops in Millbrae, Hillsdale, Palo Alto and Mountain View. Reverse-peak trains also stop at the 22nd street station in San Francisco. Hourly weekend service is offered between San Francisco and San Jose Diridon.

Caltrain Shuttle Service

Commuter shuttle buses connect many Santa Clara County and Peninsula stations with employment sites. Shuttles are provided by VTA, SamTrans, Caltrain, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, private employers and others. For current information on shuttles, call Caltrain at 1-800-660-4287.

Caltrain also offers a shuttle between the Tamien station in South San Jose and the Diridon station on Saturdays and Sundays.

Funding

Funding for the operations of Caltrain comes from fare and parking revenues, federal operating assistance, and operating subsidies from the three counties. The JPB has a formula to determine the amount of subsidy required by each JPB member for operating and administrative expenses. This formula is based on the number of morning commute boardings occurring in each member county and is updated annually based on actual ridership counts. Capital expenses are allocated equally amongst the three JPB members.

The subsidies required from each county are: San Mateo 49%, Santa Clara 37.7% and San Francisco 13.3%.

Service

Currently, 88 trains per weekday operate between San Francisco and the San Jose Diridon Station with 50 trains continuing south to the Tamien Station. Hourly service is also provided on weekends, with a shuttle between Tamien and the Diridon station. Eight weekday trains serve five stations in South San Jose, Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy. The service to the Tamien Station provides a convenient connection to VTA's light rail system.

Travel time from San Francisco to San Jose is up to an hour and 40 minutes for local trains, approximately an hour and 15 minutes per limited-stop train (travel time varies based on the schedule) and 57 minutes on Baby Bullet trains. It takes about 44 minutes to travel from San Jose to Gilroy.

Fares are based on a zonal system that increases based on the distance traveled.

Equipment

Caltrain service is operated with 20 diesel locomotives and 73 bi-level passenger cars.

Stations

Thirty-two stations are located along the Caltrain line. Eight are considered historic properties: Millbrae, Burlingame, San Carlos, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Santa Clara, San Jose and Gilroy. Parking and bike lockers are located at most stations.

Ridership

Currently, about 29,000 people ride Caltrain each weekday or about 9.0 million passengers annually. Of those riders, approximately 1,500 passengers commute to and from destinations on the extension to Gilroy.