The Evolution of Commuter Rail in the San Francisco Peninsula

Commuting by rail in the San Francisco Peninsula has been a travel option for nearly 150 years. However, only in the last 30 years has commuter rail gained recognition as a mode of public transportation separate and distinct from other railroad services. The development of commuter rail as a mode of public transportation, supported and operated by public entities, was a marked shift for an industry comprised of self-reliant firms. Railroads and public entities developed new techniques to manage finances, optimize schedules, and market their services. New agreements assigned responsibility for costs and liabilities to public entities and set limits on infrastructure usage. The increased responsibility of public entities for commuter rail services has required a public policy permitting subsidy of operations, infrastructure investments, and new governance structures. This paper traces the evolution of commuter rail service in the San Francisco Peninsula and describes the operating practices, agreements, and institutional structures that facilitated its rise as a mode of public transportation. Understanding how and why choices were made at the beginning is crucial for appreciating how this commuter rail service has evolved into its current state and how this particular operation can be enhanced with electrification and eventually blended operations with the future intercity high-speed rail service in California.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AP070 Commuter Rail Transportation.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Tsai, Tom
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 93rd Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC
  • Date: 2014-1-12 to 2014-1-16
• Date: 2014

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Maps; Photos; References;
• Pagination: 16p
• Monograph Title: TRB 93rd Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: History; Management and organization; Modernization; Railroad commuter service; Transportation operations
• Geographic Terms: San Francisco (California)
• Subject Areas: History; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Railroads; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01518876
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 14-1449
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 21 2014 11:27AM