CalTrain (original) (raw)
CalTrain is a state-operated diesel commuter line on the San Francisco Peninsula. Its northern-most station is in southern San Francisco, California, at 4th and King Street. Its southern terminus lies in Gilroy, California.
History
The original Peninsula railroad corridor was constructed in 1863 by the San Francisco and San Jose Rail Company, which was purchased by Southern Pacific in 1870. SP operated the line until 1980, when operations were taken over by Caltrans. In 1987, the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board was formed to manage the line, and it took over full responsibility for CalTrain operations in 1992. As of 2003, actual service on CalTrain is contracted out to Amtrak.
In the 1970s, San Francisco Bay Area growth was expected to be on the east side of the bay. As a result, BART growth was focused on that region, as the San Francisco Peninsula was not expected to be a high-growth area. These two systems finally connected in June of 2003 at the Millbrae, California station.