Caltrain > Projects > CEMOF

Caltrain Centralized Equipment Maintenance and Operations Facility

Caltrain’s Centralized Equipment Maintenance & Operations Facility accommodates inspections, maintenance, repairs, train washing and storage and is the “nerve center,” of the commuter railroad, where dispatchers direct and monitor train traffic between San Francisco and Gilroy.

Built on the site of an old Southern Pacific maintenance yard, the 20-acre facility includes the central control facility, water treatment plant and storage tracks. A 250-foot tunnel allows workers to cross the yard, which has live, operating tracks, safely. On-site fueling allows trains to fuel at the facility and eliminates the need for daily fuel truck deliveries.

Approximately 100 mechanical department employees and 120 train crew members are based at CEMOF.

Maintenance Shop
The three-story, 58,800 square-foot maintenance shop has a train lift and two 800-foot-long service and inspection pits where mechanics can stand while working under the trains. The building also includes a massive overhead crane to lift heavy parts, such as air-conditioners and engines, from one area to another.

A wheel elevator called a drop table is used to remove and replace the train wheels by lowering the axles while the car is being supported. A new wheel set can be installed in one hour.

Caltrain also performs its own wheel-truing. Train wheels go through a machine that profiles or “trues” the wheels on a lathe. “Truing” gives passengers a better ride, and filing down rough spots extends the life of the wheels and reduces wheel noise.

Train Washer
The entire rail fleet is washed every other day in the facility’s train washer. The train washer has two 35,000 gallon tanks that are refilled about every three days to conserve water.

Water Treatment Plant
A 3,000-square-foot water treatment facility recycles about 80 percent of the water used in the train washer. After being treated, the water is recycled to be used again to wash the next train.

Construction Timeline
Construction began in October 2004 and the facility was dedicated in September 2007.

Funding
The construction cost $140 million, including $105.8 million in federal funds and $8.2 million in state funds.

Project Documents

Agreement
COOP Agreement, (PDF, 1.31 MB)
COOP Agreement - First Amendment, (PDF, 1.31 MB)
Shared Objectives - 11.14.2001, (PDF, 20.22 KB)
Shared Objectives - 12.04.2001, (PDF, 40.98 KB)

Newsletters:
CEMOF Newsletter - Fall 2007, (PDF, 662.94 KB)
CEMOF Newsletter - Fall 2006, (PDF, 252.81 KB)
CEMOF Newsletter - Summer 2006, (PDF, 2.25 MB)

CEMOF Monitoring Committee

CEMOF Photos

Hotline
Caltrain has established a 24-hour hotline for CEMOF construction issues. Comments can be called into the hotline (1.877.433.0300) or submitted HERE.