Our transportation modes are undergoing an electric revolution. In recent years, Tesla and Rivian—major automobile manufacturers specializing in electric vehicles—have skyrocketed in popularity, dominating streets and motorways. Automotive industries are pioneering electrification transitions. Buses and trains trail closely behind with similar plans to assimilate into a new, electric standard. Widespread electrification technologies seem like a radical transition towards sustainability goals, but have we misdirected our infrastructure development goals?
On September 21, Caltrain introduced their fully electrified service from San Jose to San Francisco, deviating from their previous diesel-fueled trains. Caltrain promises a better experience for riders with their electric introductions, which will provide “faster and more frequent service… with sixteen stations seeing trains every fifteen to twenty minutes at peak hours… [providing] more robust and flexible access to cities throughout the rail system.” In addition to faster and more frequent service, Caltrain ensures contributions to California’s ambitious sustainability goals, “by lowering greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality, and relieving traffic congestion.” Transportation goals in increasing frequency and becoming more sustainable drive Caltrain’s electric developments, guided towards a transit-reforming future.
However, these predictions for Caltrain’s goals and future often differ from reality, as they are unable to accurately gauge future challenges.
Since Caltrain’s deployment of their fully electric train services, instead of the anticipated, faster and more frequent service, Caltrain riders have encountered increased delays aboard Caltrain services. Tiktok user alimeihu details her life in San Francisco as one of the many Caltrain riders burdened with service delays. In one video, Ali satirically glamorizes her experiences with the humorous caption, “Just me on a date with caltrain delays for the fourth time since last week. Train is now delayed one hour lol.” Caltrain’s consistent delays have instead deteriorated ridership experiences, limiting rider mobility across San Francisco Bay Area’s peninsula and South Bay regions. One user commented under Ali’s video, expressing delays as a contributing factor to “why [they] no longer go to South Bay.” The brief interactions, between Ali’s content and other San Francisco Bay Area residents, discussing Caltrain’s inconsistencies have reflected a broader attitude: demotivation for transit ridership under delayed, inflexible access; all factors contradictory to Caltrain’s intended goals.
Our inevitable changing climates may further contribute to Caltrain’s delayed services.In early October, following Caltrain’s transitions, Northern California experienced a record breaking heatwave, with temperatures in San Francisco exceeding one-hundred degrees fahrenheit and surrounding regions plateauing among the high-nineties.
Experiences like dramatic temperature increases jeopardize rail integrity for Caltrain’s rail systems. Constructed and engineered for particular temperature ranges, railroads are prone to buckling and expanding under abnormally high temperatures. Caltrain’s newly electrified tracks have required more maintenance check-ups under increasing temperatures to mitigate for potential rail malfunctions, ultimately contributing to their pre-existing issues with delays.
Electric transportation systems progress regional and state sustainability initiatives alleviating transportation’s carbon emissions. However, these electric transitions neglect fundamental components of sustainable transit developments: reliability and ridership.
Transitioning to electric transportation doesn’t reverse all our climate impacts. Climates will continue to change and with more dramatic temperature deviations, which may not be well-accounted for by developing infrastructures. Lengthy delays continue to demotivate transit ridership. Insufficient ridership thus jeopardizes transit funding and sustainability impacts.
Environment-oriented developments must incorporate broader perspectives of technological impacts on service, mobility, and ridership, beyond sustainability fulfillment. But ultimately, Caltrain’s electrification circumstances raise questions about the feasibility of electric transitions universally.
