On September 21, Caltrain, one of the Bay Area’s public transportation services, officially switched from their longtime diesel-powered trains to their new electric trains.

During the first week of this change, commuters were affected by a few long delays which impacted attendance at jobs, school and other activities. One delay was a result of a person tampering with the overhead wires that the trains receive energy from.

Since the initial setback, Caltrain has made improvements and has experienced only a few more delays behind schedule.

“They’re cleaner … There’s free Wi-Fi,  … But … they’re always like at least five to ten minutes late, which is kind of annoying” said junior Jolie Girgis, a regular Caltrain commuter.

The transition comes months after the initial announcement of introducing an electric fleet in May. Caltrain hopes it will reduce fuel cost, improve air quality and increase jobs.

NDB Alumna and the city of Berkeley’s Transportation and Infrastructure Commission Chair Ren Fitzgerald ‘23 works within the Bay Area for transportation advocacy. While Fitzgerald is not a Caltrain employee, they hold a prominent voice in the public transit system.

“It’s the first electrified rail project of this degree and size within the state,” said Fitzgerald. “So, this is a huge step for us.”

They also described the recent one dollar fare program Caltrain introduced earlier this summer, which allowed youth riders to take the trains to any zone for one dollar. According to the Caltrain Business Plan, there is estimated to be a 20% increase in passengers on the new trains after the switch.

With Caltrain being electrified, public transportation is now an economically and environmentally friendly option for many regular commuters.