Fast electric Caltrain still years away

[alp227]

Caltrain may finally have the money it needs to transform the 148-year-old diesel-powered commuter railroad into one running speedier lightweight electric trains up and down the Peninsula - but commuters will have to wait for them for the better part of a decade.

The recently passed high-speed rail funding bill includes $700 million for the $1.5 billion electrification project that would bring faster trains to the system in 2019, but a lot of work needs to be done even before construction can begin.

Caltrain officials say they don't know when their money will arrive, even though Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature authorized the sale of $4.7 billion in high-speed rail bonds. The bonds still need to be sold and the money allocated to Caltrain by the High-Speed Rail Authority and the state controller.

While they're waiting, Caltrain officials will dust off the environmental impact report for the modernization project, certified in 2010, and update and recirculate the document, giving the public another chance to critique the plan. It will also need to be recertified, a process expected to take about a year.

full: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Fast-electric-Caltrain-still-years-away-3743563.php

[NYC_SKP]

1. Rail projects take years and years but they're so worth it.

I was at a Passenger Advisory Committee meeting today for our local commuter service and a lot of the various improvement completion dates were in 2014 and 2018, with a lot of talk of possible improvements that aren't even funded yet.

But what a dream! I hope I live to see half of what is planned get finished!

[freshwest]

2. +1

[vinny9698]

3. The auto and airline industry are heavily subsidized by taxes

The auto industry does not have to build its own roads, bridges, etc. All paid for by tax dollars.
The airline industry does not build its own airports, air traffic controllers, highways to reach airport, all paid for by tax dollars.