Which trains take the 16 bikes? 32 bikes?

Caltrain operates two types of train cars:
Gallery (left photo: enter through one door) and Bombardier (right photo: enter through two doors). The gallery train set can accomodate 32 bikes, while the Bombardier train set can handle 16 bikes. The gallery and Bombardier sets aren't always used on the same train numbers.

Why doesn't Caltrain add more on-board bike capacity?

The Baby Bullet expresses have proven so successful that some trains have been running out of spaces for bikes, and at times nearing capacity for passengers. We know this is frustrating. In the long term we hope to find a solution. In the near term, we appreciate your cooperation and support in making the most of available resources. Overall, Caltrain has steadily expanded on-board bike capacity through increased frequency.

Why not buy more Bombardier cars?

While there is a longer term plan to purchase additional cars for Bullet service, the cars are very expensive and have long lead times to be manufactured.

Why not add more bike capacity to the Trains?

The Bombardier sets are limited to 16 bike spaces and the gallery sets are limited to 32 bike spaces. On the rare occasion, a second bike car might be available on a gallery set. To change this, Caltrain would have to either remove seats or add cars.

Removing seats: Caltrain's equipment can be assigned to any run, so to the degree possible train sets must provide similar capacity. Our Bullet service is very popular and at least one train per rush hour each is completely full, with no seating capacity available. To remove seats and replace them with bike racks would mean giving up paying customers with non-paying bicycles. This is counterproductive. Caltrain's mandate is to get people out of their cars and onto the trains. We appreciate the devotion to mass transit demonstrated by our bicycling customers, who have led the way toward leaving behind their cars in favor of the train. Clearly, bicyclists have figured out what we need to teach everyone else - that there are alternatives to the car. The best way to teach that is to provide service to a wider range of customers.

Adding cars: With the 96-train timetable, Caltrain is stretching its rolling stock resources to provide more service with the same equipment. The rolling stock simply is not available to increase consist length. Seventeen Bombardier cars are available for the express service: 15 cars are being used and two are held to replace equipment with mechanical problems. The gallery cars are not mechanically compatible with the Bombardier cars so a mixed set is not possible. In other words, we use all our equipment - cars and locomotives - throughout our schedule, all day. Meeting the demands of our schedule requires that cars and locomotives be in certain places at certain times and configured in ways that meet our service requirements. It's all interconnected, and if we start moving cars around, it affects the entire schedule and undermines our ability to meet the needs of all our customers throughout the day. Likewise, adding another cab car to the Gallery sets in order to increase bike capacity on the expresses would dig into the spare ratio that must be maintained for this service as well as create reliability problems (this is dicussed later).

Dedicate a longer train set train to a specific run: All equipment must rotate through the day, and from day to day, because of the turnaround time at the end of line and needs for fueling and maintenance requirements. Therefore, no equipment can be assigned permanently to the same run.

Why not add the extra cars to the train every day?

The rolling stock is not technically designed to be coupled and uncoupled frequently. Also, varying train lengths would make our service less reliable for both bike riders and non-bike customers. All our customers are entitled to know what they can expect in terms of capacity and bike service when a train arrives at the station at its scheduled time. But more importantly, the two spare cars are "cab cars," which control the train when it travels north. If we had no spare cab cars and one failed on an existing train, the entire train would go out of service. We can't risk losing an entire train, with cascading effects throughout our schedule.

Why do we sometimes see 2 bike cars on some trains?

When a trailer car has a mechanical problem, it must be replaced by spare units. Many times, those units are cab cars, which do have bike capacity. So sometimes you will see a second bike car go into service while the trailer car is being repaired.

Why is using gallery car sets with 32 bike spaces for express service risky?

With the 96-train schedule, Caltrain had no choice but to use the gallery car sets on the additional express train runs. This is a prospect that is not without risk. The risk is to schedule reliability (on-time performance). Since the original launch of Baby Bullets in June 2004, Caltrain has maintained an on-time performance of about 95%. This has led to increased ridership which translates into revenue that the system so desperately needs. The gallery cars have only one door per car, which makes loading and unloading much slower than with the newer two-door Bombardier cars. This has the potential to slow service. A longer stop at each station - referred to as "dwell time" - could significantly slow the Baby Bullet expresses. Simply put, it is much more difficult to make schedule with gallery cars than with the newer Bombardier equipment. The essence of the Baby Bullet express service is speed through efficiency. To achieve that speed, the service is tightly scheduled. Stopping longer at the stations, taking more time to load passengers, is not only counter- productive to what the Baby Bullet is all about, but it has a ripple effect throughout the rest of the run, slowing us down and defeating the purpose of an express train. Having said that, Caltrain recognizes that the success of Bullet express service is the answer to its budget woes. It is then a calculated risk that Caltrain is taking by using gallery sets in everyday express service.

Why not just add some time to the schedule to compensate for the loading?

Each express train schedule is precisely timed to make a turn and become another train heading in the opposite direction. All of these trains must work in unison. If trains do not make it on time, we miss our schedule and the express run is late - which defeats the underlying purpose of express service. The turning of trains requires enough time to check equipment and to allow crews to prepare for the next trip.

Why not adjust the schedule to run the express trains (earlier / later)?

The expresses are part of a highly integrated, interconnected system of trains running in sync. Any schedule shifts by the express trains would affect the entire schedule by the same amount. In other words, to move a Baby Bullet from 5:45 to 5:55 would require similar shifting for the entire rush-hour schedule by the same amount.

What can be done to improve the situation?

While the current focus is on Baby Bullet express train service, our patronage studies indicate that bicycle ridership is growing throughout the peak and peak-shoulder. This growth is attributable to increased capacity during the rush hour and reduced runtime on our limited trains. In effect, this equates to an acknowledgement that the faster the trip time, the greater the attraction for not only bicyclists but ridership in general.

However, there are many projects that must be completed in order to shore up the rail operation and increase reliability.

Two projects are already underway. One, for the San Francisco approach, will double the speed into and out of the San Francisco terminal and will facilitate additional simultaneous moves. And a second involves modifying the Hillsdale station to eliminate the holdout rule and expand the station facilities. This will allow finer coordination of the schedule with some improvement to runtime.

Future projects include:

• Adding new trackway and interlockings around the Santa Clara station, which will provide more capacity for not only Caltrain but also Capital Corridor, ACE, Amtrak and Union Pacific.
• Building mid-line passing tracks, resulting in considerable improvement to runtime.
• Increasing capacity at the Diridon station and its approach that will allow for future increases in traffic.
The results of these programs will be a much improved ride for all passengers. There likely will be more bike capacity during the peak period, resulting from more frequent trains running a quicker trip time.

For bicycle commuters, Caltrain hopes to make more efficient use of existing capacity - and find ways to expand capacity. We welcome suggestions from bike commuters. In the future, it may be possible to collaborate in funding and expanding Caltrain's bike-transit services. Further, we are beginning now to study ways to more completely integrate all the other bicycle-related services we provide - including bike stations and bike lockers - to better serve our bicycle commuters.

If I can't take my bike on the train, what can I do with it?

Caltrain and its municipal partners offer many wayside bicycle amenities. Bike lockers, offered at 27 stations, can be rented in six-month increments for $5.50 per month. For information on renting a bicycle locker call Caltrain at 650.508.6350 or e-mail JJBrown@Amtrak.com for specific location availability before submitting an application (PDF, 23.81 KB).

Other station-side options include:

• Mountain View offers a secure bike shelter. Call 650.903.6311 for details.
• Menlo Park has a secure bike shelter.
• Tamien and southern Santa Clara County stations lockers are handled by the Valley Transportation Authority. Call 408.321.7520 for details.
Caltrain is working to build a bikestation at its San Francisco station, with anticipated opening in fall 2006.

Are there space restrictions for folding bikes?

Folding bikes are allowed on any train car as they are no wider than 32 inches at the widest point.

Folding bikes must be in the folded position prior to boarding and must remain under the control of the owner while on board. Folding bikes must be able to be stored under the seat in front of you or be placed in the luggage racks provided by Caltrain.

Folding bikes may not be placed on seats and must not block aisles, stairs or vestibules. Folding bikes may not be stored in the space reserved for passengers wheelchairs.

Dirt or grease from folding bikes must not be transferred to the interior of the car, other passengers, or crew members. If the bike is dirty, it must be placed in a bag to prevent soiling of the rail car. It is at the conductors' discretion to reject the boarding of a folding bike that they determine is not protected and appears to be greasy or dirty.

Folding bikes that are not in the bike rack must remain folded until the passenger has fully left the train.