Watch CBS News

Caltrain Adds Trains To Meet Growing Ridership

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- In response to two years of growing ridership, Caltrain added six trains to its regular weekday schedule between San Jose and San Francisco starting Monday.

Caltrain spokeswoman Christine Dunn said Monday morning's commute with the added service went smoothly.

"Everything seems to be going well," Dunn said. "We're very pleased."

In June, Caltrain recorded an all-time high in ridership, with an average of 50,000 weekday passengers, Dunn said.

The gradual increase in passengers and the occasional overcrowded train car prompted the agency to add a total of four trains during the morning and afternoon commutes, and two trains in the off-peak hours.

Two of the six trains represent new service, and the other four are trains that were previously cut for budget reasons, according to Caltrain.

Also effective Monday, 12 limited-service trains have added stops at the Palo Alto and Sunnyvale stations, giving passengers a little more flexibility on where to board, Dunn said.

"It gives people a few more options," she said.

Caltrain will be keeping track of how many passengers are taking advantage of the additional service in the coming months, Dunn said.

(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.