Caltrain
Caltrain is a regional commuter rail system between San Francisco and San Jose, with weekday peak hour service to and from Gilroy.
Contents
Rail service
Caltrain operates seven days a week between San Francisco and San Jose. The Northern Terminal for all trains is the 4th & King Station in San Francisico, one block from AT&T Park. On weekdays, many trains serve Tamien Station in San Jose. Weekday commute service is exteneded to Gilroy. The Southern Terminus for all other trips is San Jose Diridon Station. On Caltrain, not every train serve every station.
Weekday
96 trains are operated on weekays between San Francisco and San Jose. 22 of these are Baby Bullet express trains, 48 are limited-stop, and 26 are local. On weekdays only, 3 trips are offered from Gilroy to San Francisco in the morning and 3 trips from San Franciso to Gilroy in the Afternoon.
On weekdays, the average travel time on local trains (serving every station except Broadway and Atherton) is 1 hour and 32 minutes between San Francisco and San Jose. Limited stop trains, which skip more stations, take between an Hour and 7 minutes to an Hour and 20 Minutes. During weekday commute hours, Baby Bullet express trains, which makes only 4 or 5 station stops, take just under an hour. Travel between San Jose and Gilroy is 50 Minutes.
Weekend and holiday
On Weekends, only local trains are operated (serving all stations including Broadway and Atherton) mostly on an hourly basis between San Francisco and San Jose Diridon stations, with 32 trains on Saturdays and 30 on Sundays. Hourly shuttle bus service is provided between San Jose Diridon and Tamien stations.
Sunday schedule is operated on all major holidays (New Years, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). Modified schedules are operated on Presidents' Day and the Day after Thanksgiving.
Special service
Caltrain operates special service for San Francisco Giants home games and other events at AT&T Park.
Although no extra train is provided for San Jose Sharks home games at HP Pavilion, Caltrain will delay the departure of the last train from San Jose if the game continues past 10:30pm, until 15 minutes after the game ends.
Caltrain also operates extra service for Bay to Breakers, as well as 4th of July and New Year's fireworks in San Francisco.
Bicycles
Bicycles can be taken aboard Caltrain at all hours on all trains, with no additional fare, but only on the designated bike car where bike racks have been installed.
The bike car is always the northernmost car of the train. Southbound it will be last car, and northbound the first.
Bike capacity is limited to 16 bikes on the newer, Bombardier train cars (which have a split level design and two-doors per car) and 32 bikes on Gallery cars (which have a single door in the center of the car).
Rules & Etiquette
- Bikes must be strapped to the bike racks with the provided bungee cords, with no more than 4 bikes per rack. Some conductors will bend this a bit because the rule is for safety and often 5 can be stored without blocking the isles.
- Place a tag on your bike identifying the stations you travel between. Caltrain provides vinyl bike tags which can be picked up stations with staffed information counters and often from conductors on board the train.
- Stack bikes in the order they will be removed. When you secure your bike, check the tags of other bikes, placing your bike only in front of other which will be getting off after you.
- Let pedestrians board and exit the train before bikes.
- Do not lock your bike. Use of bike locks is prohibited on board Caltrain.
Stations and Fare Zones
Here is a list of Caltrain Stations and the Fare Zones they are located in, as well as important Special Notes.
Fares
Caltrain Fares are determined by the number of zones you are traveling.
There are 4 types of tickets:
- One-Way Ticket - Valid for 4 hours after purchase within the zones and in the direction indicated.
- Day Pass - Valid for unlimited rides on the day of purchase between the zones indicated.
- 10-Ride Ticket - Good for 60 days from the day and time purchased, but must be validated each time (using the validators at every station) before boarding the train. Each time your ticket is validated, travel is good in any direction between the zones and time indicated. A 10-Ride Ticket may also be used for multiple riders, but must be stamped for every rider on every trip.
- Monthly Pass - Valid for unlimited travel between the zones indicated during the month. On weekends and major holidays, it is good for unlimited travel in all fare zones.
If you want travel to a station and your Ticket doesn't include that stations zone, purchase a Zone Upgrade, which must be used with a Valid Caltrain Ticket. A zone upgarde allows you to to travel from a station from any of the zones indicated on your Caltrain Ticket to any station located in any of the zones that are within number of zones on your Zone Upgrade your station is loctated away from. For example, if I have a Day Pass from Zone 3 to Zone 2, I'm in Palo Alto, but I want to go to San Jose, I would purchase a 1-Zone Upgrade which would allow me to Travel to San Jose in Zone 4 or San Francisco in Zone 1 for up to 4 hours. Likewise, if I was in San Jose, with the Same ticket, and I wanted to go to San Francisco, I would purchase a 2-Zone Upgrade.
A Monthly pass with at least 2-Zones* is also good for unlimed rides on SamTrans and VTA, including Light Rail, and local fare credit on Dumbarton Express and Highway 17 Express. If the validator isn't fuctioning, the Conductor will validte your ticket on board.
Caltrain is a proof of Payment System. No tickets are sold on-board Caltrain. Passengers must have a valid ticket, validated 10-Ride, or Monthly Pass prior to boarding the train, or they may recieve a ciatation of up to $250. Tickets, 10 Rides, and Monthly Passes may be purchased at Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) at all stations or from the ticket office at the 4th&King and San Jose Diridon Stations. Monthly Passes Can also be purchased from the Caltrain and Samtrans Office, on the 2nd Floor of 1250 San Carlos Avenue, San Carlos (1 block from the San Carlos Station) and the
Here is Caltrain's Fare Structure:
ONE zone: Full Fare: One Way $2.25 Day Pass $4.50 10-ride $19.25 Monthly Pass $59.75
Senior / Disabled / Youth: One Way $1.00 Day Pass $2.25 10-ride $9.50 Monthly Pass $29.75
TWO zone: Full Fare: One Way $4.00 Day Pass $8.00 10-ride $34.00 Monthly Pass $106.00
Senior / Disabled / Youth: One Way $2.00 Day Pass $4.00 10-ride $17.00 Monthly Pass $53.00
THREE zone: Full Fare: One Way $5.75 Day Pass $11.50 10-ride $49.00 Monthly Pass $152.50
Senior / Disabled / Youth: One Way $2.75 Day Pass $5.75 10-ride $24.50 Monthly Pass $76.25
FOUR zone: Full Fare: One Way $7.50 Day Pass $15.00 10-ride $63.75 Monthly Pass $198.75
Senior / Disabled / Youth: One Way $3.75 Day Pass $7.50 10-ride $31.75 Monthly Pass $99.25
FIVE zone: Full Fare: One Way $9.25 Day Pass $18.50 10-ride $78.75 Monthly Pass $245.25
Senior / Disabled / Youth: One Way $4.50 Day Pass $9.25 10-ride $39.25 Monthly Pass $122.50
SIX zone: Full Fare: One Way $11.00 Day Pass $22.00 10-ride $93.50 Monthly Pass $291.50
Senior / Disabled / Youth: One Way $5.50 Day Pass $11.00 10-ride $46.75 Monthly Pass $145.75
- A Youth must have 3 Zone or more Monthly Pass for Unlimted Rides on VTA.
