full July 7th agenda here:
http://www.caltrain.com/Assets/__Agendas+and+Minutes/JPB/Board+of+Directors/Agendas/2016/2016-07-07+JPB+BOD+Agenda+Packet.pdf
>Award of Contract to Stadler US, Inc for Procurement of Electric Multiple Unit Vehicles for a Not-to-Exceed Amount of $550,899,459
Which means Caltrain will get some modified KISS units, pic related but with double doors on each side (for low and high platforms).
They'll most likely have the new front though. Pic related KISS made by stadler for ODEG in Germany.
>>974593
I don't get how having high and low platform doors is going to work long term. I get that the low platform doors are for the near term and the high ones for once all stations have been modified to have high platforms. But once that happens, will they modify the trains to remove the low doors and put seats there instead?
>>974637
only in America would such a thing even need to happen
>>974637
Caltrain doesn't want to rebuild all their stations, when CAHSR will only share about four (SF, Milbrae, RWC, SJ). Also if Dumbarton rail ever happens, and they're able to access the east bay, the only cars that work over there are ones that use 8-inch platforms. This is particularly relevant if Caltrain ever gets their own transbay tube. Making a special snowflake train is the easiest way to just make it all werk, and allows them to upgrade everything piecemeal.
how many billions will it cost?
how many years will it be delayed?
how many politically connected contractors will make themselves richer on this?
>>974645
Caltrain has full-length platforms, this itself was a big deal when it was first created in 1980. Platforms cost money, pic related is what most of the state's rail system used before the 80s and 90s when commuter rail systems started getting modernized.
>>974653
This is not a small project. It is the culmination of 20+ years of Peninsula Corridor modernization. SP gave up their commute op in 1980 to Caltrans, who did a lot of work improving stations (ie adding full-length platforms and crossing gates at grade crossings). In 1991, the newly formed Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board bought the entire line from SP and immediately began doing grade separation projects which continue today.
However, the long-term feasibility of Caltrain was in doubt (as BART wanted the track) until California voters passed Prop 1A in 2008, which required the state to build high-speed rail from SF to LA. The only corridor available is Caltrain's. Anyway, since then Caltrain has focused on getting ready for HSR, and part of that is electrifying which will begin construction next year. Once that is done in 2020, it will have taken a full 40 years to bring the Peninsula Corridor up to a modern standard.
My point is that this is part of something that has been going on for a long time.
>how many politically connected contractors will make themselves richer on this?
Bechtel has BART, Parsons Brinckerhoff has CAHSR. Caltrain is able to seek rent from both.
how things change
>>974648
why are there "weekend only" stations?
>>974665
Not enough projected ridership during weekdays?
>>974645
A lot of these stations were built over 100 years ago.
>>974648
So basically seating space has to be sacrificed for the sake of being a special snowflake. That's fucking dumb.
>>974665
Most of SP's system was flag stops, Caltrain doesn't do that because it screws up timetables/scheduling as they run more trains (2 every hour, soon 3-4 an hour).
>>974678
Either you get a special snowflake, or you don't get any HSR compatibility at all. The die was cast 50 years ago when San Mateo County did not join BART. Also this is the only way SF gets express trains. Blame boomers for being stupid, blame BART for not making their case, and blame Leeland Stanford (west coast railroad baron) for being cheap and not wanting to pay for platforms in the nineteenth century.
