End of the line for Caltrain?

Where does the money go? How much of it gets funneled into sweetheart deals to the transportation-industrial complex? How much of it goes to pay for ridiculous and unsustainable pay and benefits for union workers and administrators?

Mr Davis asked a good question. It should be simple math - I've read that more than 50% of CalTrain annual cost is personnel; what happens to that cost if employees pay for their own pensions? What happens if management takes a 10% pay cut? If workers take a 5% pay cut?

If the issue is the very survival of CalTrain, as both management and "friends" report, would employees accept the reductions in lieu of "draconian" reductions in service? Why isn't this in the discussion about CalTrain survival, instead of just new taxes?

Good grief. Something is drastically wrong when commuter rail is in danger of extinction but the Feds are going to spend billions to build a high-speed rail system. If regular daily ridership can't sustain Caltrain, how in heaven's name will HSR ever make it??? Once we invest the outrageous level of tax dollars necessary to build it how can it be sustained? Lifetime government support? $1,000 a ticket? Let's put some of those federal dollars where they will make the biggest difference and run the trains that really benefit the environment and the economy. Save Caltrain now.

Constantly increasing fares and unreliable service have led to the mess that CalTrain is in right now. CalTrain's solution to their money problems is always "raise the fares and reduce service" rather than thinking of other solutions like the ones Henry mentions above.

So many transportation problems would have been solved if the NIMBY folks in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties would have allowed BART to be built in a truly "Bay Area" Rapid Transit (not just East Bay and SF). They could have ripped up the CalTrain lines and built a true circle around the Bay.

Before asking for any taxes, let's put the entire CalTrain operation out for bid--allowing non-union employers, domestic or foreign firms.

Shrink it to a M-F commute line, and make it profitable. Then we can discuss other alternative run times. One issue with Caltrain, is that they are using the same outdated equipment to serve two distinctly different markets, on-peak and off-peak. this is wasting millions in fuel cost, extra personnel, etc.

A better solution, would be to run the large 5-car locomotive train sets for peak commute demand (where the trains are actaully full), and a smaller trolley car style DMU car, for off-peak. This would more efficiently server all stations, and the lower passenger load.

Bottom line, adjust to demand like any other successful business. Fyi, ROI would pay for this equipment in five years.

As one writer asked in a letter to the San Jose Mercury News last week, 'If we can't make Caltrain work, what makes you think that high speed rail will?'

Dear Mr. Scanlon and friends,

It's clear you are playing a game of liars poker. Scare the public and demand they pony up MORE taxes for the services they are already paying for...... but it's never enough to keep you and your fellow employees in the life style you've become accustomed to.

I for one am ready to call your bluff. I would hope your board of directors, our elected officials, are ready to call your bluff too. SHUT IT DOWN!! The board should announce it will commence an orderly closure of CalTrain during the next 12 or 18 months. During that time they should solicit bids from private sector investors. Promise the bidders they would continue to receive the CURRENT level SUBSIDY and access to the right-of-way agreement with the Union Pacific.

Oh yes! And the board should also immediately terminate your use of the house you get as part of your compensation.

Public servants who have forgotten who the system is suppose to work for need to be replaced. You were hired to run a railroad, not create a scheme for income transfer.

Maybe it's best for the Peninsula if CalTrain goes belly up. That way the so called 'High Speed" train - which is just going to be a newer electric train, servicing most of the same communities - can take it's place. The plan to run a separate set of tracks next to CalTrain was such a bad idea. Let the High Speed train take the place of CalTrain, no additional land needed, no tunnels, elevated tracks, etc. This High Speed train is essentially a commuter train with all the proposed stops, the demise of CalTrain isn't really such a bad thing and was inevitable with the coming of the newer and more efficient electric "High Speed" train.

Nancy says:

"This High Speed train is essentially a commuter train with all the proposed stops"

What are the proposed stops in San Mateo County?

Regrettably, DMUs cannot operate on the same tracks used by freight trains per federal law. For over ten years, several of us have pressed Feinstein, Pelosi, Boxer et al for updating of the FRA with no response.

As for bidding, the existing equipment and rights of way were bid out - but not as Ned Moritz defined it. The attitude at CalTrain has to change, starting at the top.

As for the HSR fantasy, only one stop is proposed on the peninsula, probably Redwood City.

@Henry Riggs

Modern DMUs are FRA-compliant, such as the new Marin County SMART technology. These will work for Caltrain, along with the current freigt traffic.

Not ONE of you is concerned with deficits.

I can't believe the stupid comments I read here. Rail systems work in Europe for one simple reason. Europeans are willing to pay the gas taxes to subsidize their rail systems. Some suggest Caltrian should make a profit. What nonsense. There is not a passenger rail system in the world that runs without subsidies let alone make a profit. Does anyone think that our freeway system should or can make a profit? Is anyone dumb enough to think our airports exist without subsidies? High speed rail? To most Americans this is some futuristic idea. But in Europe, Japan and China it is commonplace and has been so for decades. Wake up Americans. Every other country is way ahead of us in developing the alternatives to crowded freeways and airports. While they expand their already impressive rail systems we struggle to keep our outdated Caltrain operating. Americans need to get out of America and see how the other 95% live.