Much-anticipated step restores service to highest level since 2004

By Calvin Nuttall

Caltrain expanded its weekday service to the South Valley, inaugurating a fourth train for Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill stations Monday Sept. 25.

The improved transit service has been a major focus of public officials for decades, including current Gilroy Mayor Marie Blankley and former Morgan Hill Mayor Rich Constantine. About 30 people including elected officials gathered at the Gilroy train station to celebrate the new service. Several Morgan Hill officials boarded the train for the first ride north to Morgan Hill.

The expansion will enable more local commuters to reach their destinations ranging from San Jose to San Francisco faster, while bypassing the Bay Area’s congested highways. Caltrain reports 500 people from the South Valley use its trains every day.

Previously, the South Valley received three, and briefly only two weekday trains during the pandemic. Limited options for public transit commuters forced many to rely on bus services. Bus riders frequently submit complaints about delays, schedule changes, and slow service, Blankley said.

“I say this not to criticize our local transit agency, who face the same challenges of all transit agencies, but to call out the significant lag in viable commuter transit service from this part of southern Santa Clara County,” she said. “Our housing growth continues without nearby proportionate job growth.”

One million dollars from the Measure B bond will make the fourth train run. This includes $470,000 in fiscal year 2024, and $517,000 in fiscal year 2025.

“Some of you may not realize how big this news is,” Blankley said. “While we’re not yet where we’d like to be, this fourth train is a significant and long-awaited step for our residents and others to better connect with the job growth of the wider Bay Area.”

Officials will also push for improvements to Caltrain stations to extend platforms and provide level boarding, which currently exist at some stations but not all, said Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, who serves on the Caltrain board.

Citizens and public officials have consistently raised the issue at city council meetings for years, she said. She credited Blankley and Constantine for their active support for the expansion.

“I wasn’t in a meeting where one of them didn’t raise this issue,” she said. “The people from this community were loud and proud on an ongoing basis that we need more, we need it now, we need it faster. The voters of Santa Clara County made sure, through the Measure B tax, that there was going to be money for it.”

As part of the schedule changes, the last northbound train in the morning now leaves later than it previously did. Many morning commuters are grateful for the opportunity to sleep just a little longer than they used to, including Devan Cherry, 38, of Morgan Hill.

“It allows me to get to work later, because before I had to get there too early,” he said. “The expanded schedule is a good thing, but we need more. Extra trains during the day would be good, as well. There are none in the middle of the day, only mornings and afternoons.”

The schedule changes have cut at least 15 minutes off the commute for Luis Gutierez, 48, of Morgan Hill. This is largely thanks to the additional stop at the Lawrence station for two of the four trains from the South Valley.

“I’m winning from all angles,” he said. “I get to sleep a little longer, and I have more opportunities to work a little later. It’s definitely exciting. I think it’s going to bring more people to Caltrain.”

Not every commuter finds the changes positive. The last southbound train of the day now arrives at the Gilroy transit center at 6:40 p.m., 40 minutes earlier than it used to, forcing some Gilroy commuters to leave work earlier.

“It is a little bit harder for me to get things to work with my work schedule,” said Alex Wykoff, 53, of Gilroy. “The (afternoon) train that they added actually comes in earlier now. The later train that came in at around 7:20 was much easier for me.”

Many commuters echoed the sentiment that the expanded service is an improvement, but still not enough. Although there are now more options for commuters in the mornings and afternoons, there is still no service between the South Valley and the greater Bay Area from 7:44 a.m. until 5 p.m.

“It’s huge that there is a later train, but I wish there were more trains throughout the day,” said Jesse Perez, 49, of Morgan Hill. “We only have four trains down here in South County, but if you go up to Diridon or Tasman, there are trains all day long.”

In addition to more scheduled service, Caltrain riders can also look forward to an upgrade to electrified locomotives by this time next year, Blankley said.

Although there are no plans to electrify the tracks or build overhead lines between San Jose and Gilroy, electric rail service will be achieved through the use of a battery-equipped multiple unit (BEMU) locomotive that will charge itself while running on the electrified section of the corridor, then operate on battery power beyond those areas, she said.

Morgan Hill Mayor Mark Turner acknowledged the efforts to make the fourth train a reality.

“Thank you to Gilroy’s elected officials and their city staff for consistent, dedicated, and strong advocacy efforts over the years,” he said. “I would also like to recognize former mayor Rich Constantine for his effort over the years as well. He remained strong and faithful in his dedicated effort to make sure this fourth train occurred.”

Caltrain aims to offer the best rail service South County has ever seen, said Jeff Gee, chair of the Caltrain board, in a press release.

“We want to make sure that everyone can take advantage of all the benefits Caltrain has to offer,” he said. “With this fourth train, residents all over South County can find out for themselves.”

Calvin Nuttall is a Morgan Hill-based freelance reporter and columnist.