Passenger Trains > Caltrain Electrification On Ice

Caltrain announced today its electrification plan is in jeopardy due to a delay in anticipated funding:


http://www.caltrain.com/about/MediaRelations/news/Caltrain_Electrification_Grant_Deferred.html

Posted from iPhone

Electrification of the Peninsula has been on ice ever since Harriman died.

Ha, yeah, that's the truth.

That sucks! I happenend to ride on a BART train with several people involved with the project last Fall. Maybe someday...

Jim

Here is the San Jose Mercury News' take on the news:

http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/17/feds-delay-caltrain-electrification-money/

Caltrain has announced schedule changes to allow preliminary work on the electrification to begin later this year.  I wonder if they will keep the old schedule in place.

And DC could have told them this a little earlier...11 days before they deadline they decide to say no?

walstib Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here is the San Jose Mercury News' take on the
> news:
>
> http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/17/feds-delay-c
> altrain-electrification-money/

I've been noticing the raising of reporting standards at "Murky News" lately, reminding me of the Mercury News when they were excellent, back in the 1980s. Pretty good article reporting the politics behind the decision that rhymes with what I've researched in the past. Other local news outlets showed considerably more irrational bias.

It is true CA HSR proponents are trying to "intertwine" their project with the Caltrain electrification. This was true 12 years ago when  grass roots organization was starting, where I got flyers promoting both projects. No question in my mind GOP is resorting to a little chicanery... but all sides are guilty on this issue.

However, no panic here - plenty of room to make deals. If Caltrain electrification can be separated from CA HSR, that might actually be good news, since CA HSR has shown no real commitment to connect the Central Valley to either the Silicon Valley or the LA Basin yet.

GOP hates trains, period!

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

MojaveBill Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GOP hates trains, period!

There have been examples posted right here on TO that there are too many exceptions to that stereotype. People who just read what they want to hear, or rant blindly without reading won't know, of course. Democrats are just as bad, because they claim they support trains, but our passenger rail infrastructure continues to be mediocre compared to other countries. All talk.

CA HSR proponents have been very sneaky with funding, and "intertwining" the Caltrain electrification project is part of their scheming. Your irrational rant has little to do with why the California GOP Congressmen lobbied to the FTA to "review" the funding, but it IS true that Tom McClintock (mentioned in the article) does seem to hate trains.

If Bay Area residents had any clue, they would be livid because Caltrain is used as a tool by either party to push their agendas. We are too blind and divided to organize a rebellion to punish the politicians. The sewage continues to fill the swamp.
 

Don't worry about it,those Caltrain F40's are good for another Million Miles.  LOL..

TopCat

Not exactly a surprise. Maybe it'll be back on in four years when the Dems regain the White House and Congress. Of course, by then the price tag will probably have doubled.

Posted from iPhone

The comments at the  end of the story are fascinating!

WrongWayMurphy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The comments at the  end of the story are
> fascinating!

Indeed!

Tom Y

CPCoyote Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not exactly a surprise. Maybe it'll be back on in
> four years when the Dems regain the White House
> and Congress. Of course, by then the price tag
> will probably have doubled.
>
> Posted from iPhone

If the so-called audit is legit, that shouldn't happen. Deadlines are extended all the time. Plenty of fear-mongering by the politicians as the article clearly shows. Even to them, Caltrain isn't THAT important, so they're willing to threaten the cancellation of the project to get sympathetic public opinion.

If all of them considered Caltrain electrification as sacred cow, no one would dare use it as a bargaining chip.

How do the Atherton and Palo Alto objections play into the sacred cows budget? 

There had been talk of raising the row through Palo Alto. Would this be part of the electrification budget or a separate issue? There's also the SF terminal side of things, were is that line item?
TIA.

Raising, or lowering, the ROW through Menlo Park or Palo Alto is not part of electrification.

Both towns seem mired in endless discussion of what to do with the tracks. Maybe 2017 will be the year they make a decision. Maybe.

They would be smart to do whatever grade separations before things get more complicated with overhead wires.

Of course in Menlo Park's case, they've been debating underpasses for more than 50 years. I see no hope that a decision is coming anytime soon.

Posted from iPhone

Jerry Brown tied Caltrain electrification funding to HSR  to try to get some politcal support for HSR on the Peninsula and that strategy has now backfired, at least for Caltrain. Now Caltrain is trying to uncouple from HSR, but the wires would be shared so that may be hard to sell to the people who control the money. It may take HSR being cancelled before electrification will be considered on its own merits, and even then it will be a challenge since this administration is not likely to look for ways of 'rewarding' California. Silicon Valley does have some influence (meaning money to politicians) so there is that.

An impartial audit, if that's possible, will be interesting. HSR seems to be losing political support, but Jerry has been stuborn. Hard to see it surviving a lack of federal money, but it has survived cockroach style longer than I expected, so who knows. If Gavin succeeds Jerry, he has said he is not a supporter, but everything can always change.

Elections matter.

Jim B

Tom McClintock is a dyed-in-the-wool Tea Bagger (and proud of it - just ask him!).. I live in his district and have seen him in action. .

MojaveBill Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GOP hates trains, period!

The trains that are running today will keep right on running.

The Caltrain/HSR integration has not been well thought out.  It makes little sense to electrify the line if it is not also being 4-tracks and grade separated at the same time, which it is not, otherwise the HSR work will be made much more difficult.

California has only themselves to blame for this.  How can they not have the HSR system planned out and under construction by now after 8 years?

Its worth perusing this blog for alternative views on this.

http://caltrain-hsr.blogspot.com

Amen to that. Caltrain can fight its own battles. Mostly a 45 mile railroad that shouldn't necessarily need federal funding. If the HSR choo choo is added to the mix, then federal dollars could help. But the plan needs to be better thought out. The original thought of the "bullet train" has become a limited stop railroad through valley towns and a long loop through Palmdale. More of a jobs program I suppose. Politics.


abyler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MojaveBill Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > GOP hates trains, period!
>
> The trains that are running today will keep right
> on running.
>
> The Caltrain/HSR integration has not been well
> thought out.  It makes little sense to electrify
> the line if it is not also being 4-tracks and
> grade separated at the same time, which it is not,
> otherwise the HSR work will be made much more
> difficult.
>
> California has only themselves to blame for this.
>  How can they not have the HSR system planned out
> and under construction by now after 8 years?
>
> Its worth perusing this blog for alternative views
> on this.
>
> http://caltrain-hsr.blogspot.com