SAN FRANCISCO — Caltrain will begin public service of its electrified trains this Sunday, August 11, reports news site SFGate.

Agency spokesman Dan Lieberman told SFGate that “some” of the electric trains will be in service, but that Caltrain has opted against announcing which trains will run with the new equipment to avoid overcrowding for safety reasons and to avoid displacing regulars. More electric trains will be put into service each week, he said, until the official switch to all-electric operation, currently scheduled for Sept. 21.

Work to electrify the 51-mile line between San Francisco and San Jose began in 2017. Stadler USA built the double-deck trains for electrified operation. The operating plans call for higher frequencies during peak hours and on weekends, as well as shorter travel times. Overall, electrification will lead to a 20 percent increase in operations (see “Caltrain finalizes operating plan for electrification”). Trains News Wire, December 12, 2023).