TrainBlog by Marcel Marchon

This is partially in response to Clem’s excellent article about the importance of timetables. I do agree with most of what he says, however I’d like to add one point to the discussion: He makes it sound a bit as if CAHSR and Caltrain would compete, not cooperate - thus the argument that CAHSR trains might “block” Caltrain from running a proper timetable.

However, if we have CAHSR “locals” running over those tracks, say at a half-hourly interval, with timetables that are coordinated with Caltrain locals and are offering those zero-wait transfers at RWC (or wherever), then there should in fact not even be a need for Caltrain express trains? The CAHSR trains can fulfill that function. But for that to work it is very important that fares and timetables are coordinated, i.e. if I have a ticket for San Jose - San Francisco, I should be able to use any train on the route.

According to a report published by the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (of the California State Assembly) was one of the selected few passengers aboard the record setting TGV earlier today. She was visiting France together with a delegation of California Legislators led by Assembly Speaker Nunez, but was the only one actually aboard the train.

Ma was among a handful of handpicked passengers on the V150 that set a new bullet train speed record by hitting 357.2 mph. The previous record was 320.2 mph set in 1990.

[ SFGate: Politics Blog : Faster than the N-Judah; French bullet train wows San Francisco Assemblywoman Fiona Ma ]

Well, let’s hope she was suitably impressed and will help further the cause of High Speed Rail in California - we definitely need it!

According to a report in today’s San Francisco Examiner, Caltrain’s ridership has reached record levels:

Average weekday ridership topped the 35,000 mark in December, the highest figure in the 143-year-history of Peninsula railroads, according to Caltrain.

[Quoted from Caltrain ridership booms to record high - Examiner.com]

So it seems very appropriate for the Governor to cut funding for transit - after all, nobody seems to be using it, right?

San Francisco’s Third Street Light Rail Line - to be known as the ‘T’ line - opened for limited (free!) weekend service today. Regular all-week service will commence on April 7 of this year.

Service begins at 10 a.m. and continues until 7 p.m. For the first three months, the T-Third will operate only on weekends between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Anyone who boards a train south of Fourth and King streets can ride the line for free until April 7, when full service is scheduled to start.

[Quoted from SAN FRANCISCO / Muni’s Third St. light-rail line finally rolling ]

The Third Street Light Rail Line runs southwards on Third Street from the current terminus at Fourth and Kind Streets (next to the Caltrain station) and terminates near the Bayshore Caltrain station. (at Bayshore Blvs. and Sunnydale Ave.) I think, originally there was supposed to be a station right next to the Caltrain station, but for some reason, this was not implemented.

The T line will continue northwards along the Embarcadero trackage and into the Market Street tunnel to its northern terminus at Castro station.

Effective April 7, 2007, the N-Judah line will stop serving the 4th & King station and now terminate at Embarcadero station. The J-Church line will provide peak hour only service to 4th & King.

I was reminded of this offer by today’s CC Rail Mail - Capitol Corridor offers a free Transit Transfer program, where if you ride a Capitol Corridor train, you can ask the conductor for a Transit Transfer, which is then valid with any one of a number of connecting Transit Agencies.

My first thought when reading this was - gee, why do I always keep forgetting about this when I actually ride the Capitol Corridor? On the train, I’ve never heard anyone mention this or seen it advertised anywhere (the only thing that you see on the train is the discounted BART tickets that they sell). Or even heard anyone ask a conductor to get one of these.

My second thought then was - ok, good idea, but bad execution! Why do I even have to ask for a Transfer in the first place? Why can’t I simply show my Amtrak Ticket stub to the driver or fare inspector to ride connecting transit?

Free connections to local transit services

While on board, ask the conductor for a free Transit Transfer. The conductor will give you a two-part, validated transfer, which should be punched for the next day - this allows you to travel to a destination, stay the night if needed and use the second transfer the following day.

[ ::: The Capitol Corridor: Transit Transfers ::: ]