Palo Alto To Host Caltrain Electrification Project

From the City of Palo Alto:

Last Updated: October 21, 2019

Caltrain Electrification Work Set to Begin in Palo Alto

The Caltrain electrification project is about to move forward in Palo Alto. The last portion of potholing and tree work which began in March 2019 has been completed in preparation for installing poles and the overhead electrical power lines. The concrete foundations for the poles will be installed first, with the work scheduled to begin in Palo Alto and Mountain View in November. The concrete foundation work will take place in the evenings by equipment mounted on rail cars and will be done from south to north Palo Alto. No work is scheduled to take place in the immediate vicinity of the El Palo Alto tree as part of the electrification process.

A second pass through Palo Alto will mount the poles to the foundations beginning in early 2020. A Traction Power Facility (TPF) will also be constructed within the Caltrain right of way near Page Mill Road, just south of the California Avenue train station; construction of the TPF is anticipated to start in Summer 2020.

In December 2018, Council entered into a comprehensive agreement with the Peninsula Joint Powers Board for the Caltrain Peninsula Corridor Electrification Project (Caltrain PCEP). City staff worked with Caltrain to develop the agreement. The agreement includes mitigation measures, anticipated work hours, and outreach requirements. This project will improve efficiency, reduce reliance on fossils fuels, and decrease engine noise as the trains pass through Palo Alto.

Visit the Caltrain PCEP website for up-to-date information regarding construction. If you have any question regarding the work, please email calmod@caltrain.com or call (650) 399-9659.

This press release was produced by the City of Palo Alto. The views expressed here are the author’s own.