This is San Francisco and San Jose, California. Serving a population of 6.8 million people,
a network of commuter rail lines connect these US cities, servicing 51 stations across seven
counties. Consisting of 3 lines and 204 miles of track, the system travels across the bay
area, with trains radiating from San Francisco and San Jose. But how did the system grow
from its original stations to the network it is today? My name’s Zach, and this is
the Evolution of the Network. Publicly funded commuter trains in the Bay
Area began in July 1980, when the state of California began subsidizing the Peninsula
Commute, a passenger train operated by Southern Pacific. Running from San Jose, the line travelled
north to San Francisco, servicing 24 intermediate stops. Two years later in October 1982, an
intermediate station opened near the southern end of the line, with trains now stopping
at Lawrence. Near the north end of the line, Butler Road station was closed in July 1983,
with the station having experienced low ridership in the years prior. At the same time, the
nearby station at 23rd street was renamed, now being referred to as 22nd street. The
line was also rebranded two years later in 1985, with the service now running under the
Caltrain name. Caltrain was extended south of San Jose in
July 1992, adding limited rush hour trains south to Gilroy. Six new stations were serviced,
with trains running northbound in the morning, and southbound in the afternoon. With the
completion of renovations at San Jose’s main railroad terminal, the station was renamed
in December 1994, after a former supervisor for the local county. The Bay Area’s second
commuter rail service launched in October 1998, with trains beginning on the Altamont
Commuter Express. Starting from San Jose’s Diridon Station, the line ran on the east
side of the bay through the Altamont Pass, servicing eight new stations to Stockton.
Trains ran during peak hours only, with trips towards San Jose in the morning, and towards
Stockton in the afternoon. On Caltrain, a new station opened just west
of San Jose in April 1999, with trains beginning to stop at San Antonio. However, because of
this new station, the nearby station at Castro was closed the following February, with the
station experiencing a sharp decline in ridership. Altamont Commuter Express trains began stopping
at Santa Clara station in March 2001, providing more connections to Caltrain. Four years later
in August 2005, the Caltrain station at Paul Avenue was closed, allowing more express trains
to be added to the rest of the line. At the same time, construction at Santa Clara station
forced Altamont Corridor Express trains to bypass the stop, only four years after beginning
service. That December, the station at Bay Meadows was also closed, with renovations
to the nearby Hillsdale station providing better facilities.
Construction at Santa Clara station was completed in May 2012, allowing Altamont Commuter Express
trains to resume stopping at the station. That December however, the service was rebranded,
with trains now being operated as the Altamont Corridor Express. A third commuter rail service
launched in the Bay Area in August 2017, providing service in Sonoma and Marin counties north
of San Francisco. Starting from San Rafael, the SMART line travels north to Sonoma County
Airport, servicing 10 new stations. Two years later in December 2019, SMART service was
extended one stop south, with trains now ending at Larkspur. The station provided nearby connections
to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal, which offers service to downtown San Francisco. At the
same time, an infill station opened further north on the line, with trains stopping in
downtown Novato. Finally in December 2020, Atherton station on Caltrain was closed, with
limited trains having stopped at the station in the decades prior. This brings us to the
San Francisco and San Jose commuter rail map that we know today.
In the years to come, major expansions are planned for every commuter rail line in the
Bay Area, which will bring trains to new towns and cities across the region. In 2022, SMART
trains are expected to be extended one stop north to Windsor. However, ongoing court challenges
mean that construction on this project has temporarily been suspended, and the opening
date might be pushed back. Near the end of 2022, a new line of the Altamont Corridor
Express will open, branching off from the existing line at the new North Lathrop station.
Trains on this route will service four new stations south to Ceres, with a cross-platform
transfer required at North Lathrop to travel into San Jose. In late 2023, trains on this
line will be extended north from North Lathrop to Sacramento, servicing the existing station
in Stockton, and continuing north to five new stops. Limited trains on the Stockton
to San Jose line will also be extended along this route, servicing all stops to Natomas/Airport.
At the end of 2024, a one stop extension of Caltrain will also open, taking the line south
from Gilroy to Salinas. At the same time, the line will be electrified, with frequent
all day service between San Francisco and Tamien.
That was the evolution of San Francisco and San Jose’s commuter rail network, giving
us the three lines that we know today. If you haven’t already, be sure to watch our
video on the evolution of San Francisco and San Jose’s rapid transit networks, which
you can access by clicking the button in the top right corner. Don’t forget to leave
a like if you enjoyed this video, and comment down below to join in the discussion. My name’s
Zach, and I’ll be Vanishing Underground, until the next one.