Safer Caltrain may be on feds’ dime

By Mike Aldax
Examiner Staff Writer 10/6/08

Assistance: The state would welcome federal dollars to explore its rail plan. Examiner file photo SAN FRANCISCO – Federal legislation that was written in the wake of a train wreck that killed 25 people could mandate that Caltrain install new anti-collision technology.

The bill, which recently cleared the U.S. Senate, requires inner-city passenger railroads to install a system that can engage a train’s brakes if it’s headed for collision. It also mandates more rest for train operators.

If the measure clears the final hurdle — a signature from President Bush — the federal government will offer hefty grants to commuter railways including Caltrain to implement the technology, known as positive train control, by 2015. Exactly how much Caltrain would receive in grants is not known, said John Goodwin, spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

The braking technology was, however, already planned for Caltrain as a part of the agency’s $1.5 billion project to electrify its system, spokeswoman Christine Dunn said.

Installing the positive-control system is estimated to cost $120 million, she said. “Any little bit that we can get can help,” Dunn said.

The bill’s progress comes in the wake of a head-on crash between a freight train and commuter train Sept. 12 that killed more than two dozen people in Los Angeles. Safety technology mandated by the legislation could have prevented the disaster, the Federal Railroad Administration has said.

Rod Diridon Sr., executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute, said it is essential that Caltrain install the positive-control system. The system would prevent an operator from running a red light because the train would stop automatically, he said.

“It’s standard equipment used all over the world,” Diridon said. “We absolutely must have it.”

The possible extra cash for Caltrain projects comes after the transit agency lost millions of dollars in state funding this year. Caltrain anticipated receiving $19 million from the state budget to renovate its South San Francisco station, which is part of the agency’s aggressive plans to electrify its system. But that money was wiped away, Dunn said.

Electrification of Caltrain would not only save millions of dollars in fuel costs each year but would also shorten the ride from San Francisco to San Jose and improve on time service, the transit agency has said. It would also offer a smoother, quieter ride and would make it possible to eventually extend Caltrain underground to the future Transbay Terminal in The City.

maldax@sfexaminer.com

State eyeing federal funds

Legislation that would fund safety improvements on the nation’s commuter railways also includes $1.5 billion for several high-speed rail projects around the country, including one proposed in California.

It has not been determined how much the state’s bullet-train project would receive should President Bush sign the legislation. The measure would primarily sponsor studies of 11 proposed high-speed rail corridors in the nation, including one linking San Francisco and Los Angeles and another that runs between Little Rock, Ark., and Memphis, Tenn.

Any federal funding for the 220 mph trains in California is a significant step toward planning for a speedy rail system, said Rod Diridon Sr., a member of the high-speed rail board.

“The funds will help us accomplish objectives without imposing so much on the state budget,” he said.

On Nov. 4, state voters will decide whether to authorize the sale of $9.9 billion in state bonds to help pay for a 465-mile high-speed rail line linking Anaheim, Los Angeles, Fresno and San Francisco. Planners say it would be the first leg of a system that would eventually include stations in Sacramento, San Diego and Oakland. — Mike Aldax