Progress of Caltrain Electrification

[PaTrainFan]

Every minute counts!

What matters more: a reliable, dependable schedule and the perception of a smooth ride that includes quick and safe acceleration and deceleration and stopping. 10 MPH isn't gonna make a bit of difference to 96% of riders. Nothing irritates me more is poking along at 10 or 15 MPH during the last mile or more into a station. That may have little impact on the schedule itself but, again, perception is crucial to riders.

 

[west point]

Until CA HSR track plans are factored in we can only have a paper exercise. More tracks? flyovers of present grade crossings? Planned stops? Will baby bullets use the same HSR infrastructure?

 

[George Harris]

Until CA HSR track plans are factored in we can only have a paper exercise. More tracks? flyovers of present grade crossings? Planned stops? Will baby bullets use the same HSR infrastructure?

The ultimate plan is four track, but is probably somewhere in never never land. For now, use existing tracks. Likewise, for some of the grade separations. It is amazing how much NIMBYism comes out, and how irrational some of it is.

As to the creeping in the last couple miles, for the San Francisco end it is near hopeless. The only way to improve the speed into and out of the station is use of larger numbered turnouts in the ladder tracks, and that means making them longer. There is also the small radius curves just outside the station. Maybe the San Jose end could be improved, but I do not know the geography there to comment on how reasonable and likely that would be.

its close to 60mi, and yes it would only save a few minutes but also the steps needed are incredibly small.

The issue is not the total miles, but the number of miles in long enough chunks that are straight or near straight enough to allow increased speed, so the actual distance permitting increased speed will be less than, and freqently far less than the total length of the route.

 

[GDRRiley]

The issue is not the total miles, but the number of miles in long enough chunks that are straight or near straight enough to allow increased speed, so the actual distance permitting increased speed will be less than, and freqently far less than the total length of the route.

There are already the plans for 110mph ops down the corridor and caltrain is no stranger to getting FRA wavers to put more cant then normally allowed as they already have curves with wavers

The ultimate plan is four track, but is probably somewhere in never never land. For now, use existing tracks. Likewise, for some of the grade separations. It is amazing how much NIMBYism comes out, and how irrational some of it is.

As to the creeping in the last couple miles, for the San Francisco end it is near hopeless. The only way to improve the speed into and out of the station is use of larger numbered turnouts in the ladder tracks, and that means making them longer. There is also the small radius curves just outside the station. Maybe the San Jose end could be improved, but I do not know the geography there to comment on how reasonable and likely that would be.

you can fix Diridons throat by removing some warehouses and industrial buildings resulting in a nicer curve, that also would allow an expanded OMF.
A 500m+ curve would allow 55mph easily

 

[George Harris]

There are already the plans for 110mph ops down the corridor and caltrain is no stranger to getting FRA wavers to put more cant then normally allowed as they already have curves with wavers

you can fix Diridons throat by removing some warehouses and industrial buildings resulting in a nicer curve, that also would allow an expanded OMF.
A 500m+ curve would allow 55mph easily

I am going to say the following and then shut up on this subject:

I am aware of the 110 mph which is primarily for the benefit of the HSR. Each curve is a study of its own. Increased superelevation will almost always require increased spiral (transition from tangent to full radius) lengths. This change requires some movement of the curve as it results in a greater offset between tangent and arc. Doing anything that required any extra right of way, regardless of how narrow the sliver of land, was met with "the sky is falling" opposition from everywhere along the line.

As to your proposed change into San Jose, to do this may not be simple. Also, this change may aleady have been considered, Whether adopted or discarded depends upon multiple factors. The power of NIMBY should never be underestimated. The main low speed issues are on the other end anyway. All potential speed ups have already be studied exhaustively during the CAHSR planning. If the electrification is all completed and in place the day to have made this change has passed.