"By increasing passenger capacity along the rail corridor, the electrification of Caltrain helps decrease congestion on local highways. That, by itself, reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Not to mention the savings from no longer using nonrenewable diesel fuel." @lofgren.house.gov

The SB 125 Transit Transformation task force is entering its final meeting next Tuesday, but their recommendations currently leave out key reforms critical to bring down the cost of electrification and keep BART and Caltrain running: www.seamlessbayarea.org/blog/2025/9/...

Love this Eco friendly message brought to you by Japanese Railways.

There’s sort of no excuse for the rail electrification being such a sleeper issue given the incredible success of CalTrain. sf.streetsblog.org/2025/07/31/c...

For #ClimateWeek, reminder that cars are the largest source of planet-cooking greenhouse gas emissions in California. CA needs to move faster on zero emissions electric rail to get cars off the road. Tell Metrolink by tomorrow to commit to electrification! docs.google.com/document/d/1...

The SB125 task force is putting together its final report to the legislature this Monday, but there are 3 key things missing: 1. A state source of transit operations funding 2. Multi-year investment frameworks for capital projects 3. Funding at full design Speak out on Monday 9/30!

New @calelectricrail.org report calls for upgrades to make Metrolink better and faster. la.streetsblog.org/2025/09/24/n...

This is exactly why we're concerned about hydrogen trains, especially for important routes like the Surfliner. Lower reliability means either less service or more spending for the same service.

LA next! #ElectrifyMetrolink

Letting agencies apply for and win state construction funding when designs are at 5% is really suboptimal. Their incentive structure is to understate costs until project scope is defined at 30-60% and then value engineer useful scope with service benefits out to make up for shortfalls later on.

The first year of electric Caltrain service has been an unparalleled success. Learn about Caltrain's many achievements since launch last year, then get on board and see what everyone is talking about! ⚡️❤️

9/30 is next Tuesday, apologies for the error.

The SB125 task force is putting together its final report to the legislature this Monday, but there are 3 key things missing: 1. A state source of transit operations funding 2. Multi-year investment frameworks for capital projects 3. Funding at full design Speak out on Monday 9/30!

SoCal electeds should take note of the large number of politicians with a feather in their cap for Caltrain electrification. Reach out to them directly by speaking at the Metrolink board meeting this Friday at 10 urging them to commit to Metrolink Electrification. docs.google.com/document/d/1...

“One year in, Caltrain’s electrified fleet is already bringing faster, cleaner public transportation for the millions of Northern California residents who depend on their service to get to work or school every day,” said Senator Alex Padilla (@padilla.senate.gov).

Join @calelectricrail.org, @buildsd.org and us for a beach day on Sunday!

Join us this Sunday to close out SoCal Transit Month with a Rail Infrastructure Beach Day! Ride Metrolink to the beach and learn more about the critical importance of the OC Maintenance Facility, Serra Siding, and LOSSAN emergency repairs. www.socaltransitmonth.org/rail_infrast...

Caltrain is celebrating the first anniversary of its fully electrified service! This past year has brought record ridership, cleaner air for our communities, and faster, more frequent service for riders throughout the Peninsula. ✨🚆 Read more about the year: www.caltrain.com/news/caltrai...

It's been one year since the smashing success of Caltrain electrification. We now have data showing electrification, level boarding, and through-running would cut travel time on the San Bernardino Line by 1/3. Your move, Metrolink. calelectricrail.org/electrolink-...

One year of electrified @caltrain.com service 🚂⚡️ It’s pretty incredible what can happen when leaders believe in an idea and never give up ❤️

Happy Caltrain Electrification Day! Here's to one year of 25% faster local trips and 15 minute peak, 30 min weekend service! ⚡️⚡️⚡️

a year ago i was on the verge of quitting my job in redwood city because of slow and infrequent trains, but I held out for @caltrain.com electrification. a year on from that and my commute is so easy i barely think about it

I just signed bipartisan laws to lower Californians' electricity costs, stabilize our gas supply, and provide a stable funding source for @cahsra.bsky.social's high-speed rail. Millions of Californians will soon start saving billions on their energy costs, and the savings don’t stop there.

California High Speed Rail will deliver more value for less than half the per-mile cost than the North Houston Highway Project, which is over budget and more delay-plagued than CAHSR:

Last week, the legislature voted to extend Cap and Trade through 2045, which provides certainty for high-speed rail and preserves the status quo for intercity rail funding. The HSR funding will ensure the IOS is completed on time - Trump can't stop this train!

Electrolink is exempt from CEQA, it's in the State Rail Plan*, and we have Caltrain and CAHSR to learn from. It's time for Metrolink to commit. What are you waiting for, Metrolink? *except for the south OC/north SD portion, thanks Coastal Commission

True - and fwiw that's just the Metro money. Nearly all those Metro highway widenings will likely get state and federal money, too. Metrolink gets much less of that.

11 years ago, RailPac put forth a similar Electrolink proposal. Metrolink dismissed it with the same arguments they're still using now. In that time, Caltrain electrified, while Metrolink has made only modest improvements. But a lot has changed since 2014. Will Metrolink change their tune this time?

$11B for highway widening, <$1 B for Metrolink. There's why we "can't afford" to electrify Metrolink.

Inland Empire communities face dangerous levels of shipping industry pollution — the same emissions warming the planet. After a rule that would have protected residents near rail yards fell apart under Trump's EPA, they're hoping the state takes the lead. capitalandmain.com/effort-to-cu...

If implemented, Electrolink can transform mobility across Southern California. Step 1 is for the Metrolink Board to direct staff to develop plans to electrify the Antelope Valley Line as part of its Zero Emissions Pilot at the 9/26 Board Meeting. docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Electrification can reduce trip times up to 20% by improving acceleration and speeds. Level boarding can reduce dwell times and potential for delay at stations. Through running unlocks services across downtown cores connecting seemingly disparate parts of the region.

Together, these interventions can make regional rail competitive with driving. The Antelope Valley Line under Electrolink becomes an appealing option for people traveling between DTLA and Santa Clarita/Lancaster midday, evenings and weekends. The San Bernardino Line cuts 1/3 of its current time.

Giving this a reup for the morning crowd. The folks in LA applied Momentum to MetroLink and came up with some pretty staggering results =>

Today, CER launches our paper “ElectroLink: Modern Passenger Rail Service for Southern California.” ElectroLink shows how electrification, level boarding and through running can speed up trips, improve access for all riders, and bind together the region. ⚡♿🚴 calelectricrail.org/electrolink-...

This is a good thread about the downsides of competitive, discretionary grant programs for mobility investment.

CalSTA wants to run low capacity hydrogen trains - a technology optimized for rural travel that has failed in Europe - on the 2nd busiest rail corridor in the US. Email the LOSSAN board before Monday to fight back!

WIRES UP ⚡️⚡️

We made a YouTube Short picking apart Metrolink’s incorrect and misleading claims regarding electrification of its system. youtube.com/shorts/cn_2s...

CalSTA plans to run hydrogen trains on portions of LOSSAN/Metrolink that must be electrified for high-speed rail and are ID'd as such in the State Rail Plan. If Metrolink had a plan to electrify, we could have avoided this. #ElectrifyMetrolink

There is no need to “innovate” when it comes to zero emissions rail we already have the Gold standard wires with silver being batteries for some use cases A typical surfliner set of 6 bi levels seats ~550 which is often standing only when busy Even a doubled up set here will only seat 400-450

This trainsets were procured without a competitive bidding process and the states already spent 208M for the initial 10 with the 19 options available for another 400M California has long been short on rolling stock but these sets aren’t the solution

LA-SD is absolutely not the right corridor to test these sets on and this seems entirely about trying to show off these new trains for the Olympics in 2028 Germany has tried repeatedly and failed to run hydrogen trains in service and has embarrassingly gone back to old equipment, I expect a repeate

This is bad. CA will be running a tech with lower capacity, lower speed, and more vulnerability to fuel supply chain issues on the US's second busiest rail corridor. We've written before about the negative side effects and flawed reasoning behind this purchase. calelectricrail.org/caltrans-hyd...

Emergency Rally: Advocates Demand Gov. Newsom ‘Fund Transit Now’ - sf.streetsblog.org/2025/09/08/e...

Today, the message was clear: transit is not optional. Fund transit now.

The rally marches to the state building. What do we want, Transit Funding. When do we want it? Now! @governor.ca.gov

Transit funding should be consistent and rational. Playing politics with vital funding, whether that's LA legislators extorting Cap and Trade for pet projects or the governor reneging on a promised loan to Bay Area transit ain't it. Tell Newsom to follow through: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

We want the alternate reality where Governor Newsom saves San Francisco by confirming the budget deal to keep Muni, BART, Caltrain and AC Transit running.

Call Gavin Newsom right now, 9164452841. Tell him to disburse the transit funds he promised and how losing BART or bus access would affect you. @transbaycoalition.bsky.social