How are freight trains, Caltrain and HSR going to coexist?
Caltrain and high-speed trains must be able to operate concurrently within the rail corridor. While freight trains use the same type of tracks (standard gauge) as Caltrain and HSR, the Federal Rail Administration will not allow freight trains to operate at the same time of day as the high-speed trains and the electrified trains that Caltrain will run in the future. The number of tracks required will be determined by the level of service. The current infrastructure, with a fully signaled and electrified system, will support up to 12 trains per hour per direction of combined Caltrain and HSR service. As the level of demand increases, certain locations will need to be expanded to three or possibly four tracks to support more frequent service levels, especially during peak travel times. The Alternatives Analysis assumes a four track system in the corridor. Air quality regulations specify that diesel powered freight rail operations will need to continue operating in an environment with adeq
