Late September CalTrain switched to using only eletric trains on the track from San Francisco to Gilroy. Today was the first time I actually got to ride one of these new beasts.

The schedule has an all new numbering system and the former bullet trains now take 40’ish minutes for my ride from 22nd street station in San Francisco to Mountain View. I can’t find the previous schedule anymore, but this is at least 10 minutes faster than the previous trains. From what I understand, the time difference mostly comes from the faster acceleration that these electric trains bring over their Diesel powered predecessors.

I boarded a limited service (train 412) at 8:53, which got me to Mountain View at 9:38 - so in 45 minutes. The boarding experience was similar to the previous train, although I had the impression that the step up was a bit higher on these trains.

When the train doors opened to let us in, an on-board automatic PA system announced what train this is and that it’s a limited service. This was surprisingly comforting for me, as I’m always anxious about getting onto the wrong train (which is literally impossible on this route, but still… anxiety does what anxiety wants).

The automatic PA system continues inside the train at every stop, and there are screens around the train showing the same information too.

The train was almost completely packed when we departed, including a full-sized car for bicycles that was also almost full. I guess I’m not the only one who likes taking the train and bike for their commute, although I once again took a BayWheels e-bike from home to the 22nd street station.

As I noticed on my first ride, the people on the train were mostly quietly working or reading. The electric train itself was also notably quieter than the previous Diesel ones, and I had the impression that it also better blocked sounds from the outside.

What was different from before though was that many more people seemed to be working on their laptops than in the past. This may have to do with the fact that the seats are set a bit further apart, making it less likely that you bump into your neighbor - but the new, free WiFi service on the trains probably also helps. The WiFi service was quite fast, although it dropped a few times for a few minutes. Honestly: who’s gonna complain about that on a train? Well OK, somebody probably will - but not me. 😁

The train dropped me off in Mountain View almost exactly on time. I love this part of my commute!