Caltrain has been awarded another $38.8 million in federal pandemic relief funds, which will be used to help balance projected defeicits through Fiscal Year 2023 while the transit agency continues work on electrification, according to Caltrain officials. The funding was released via the American Rescue Plan (ARPA).
Caltrain ridership decreased to 5 percent in the early days of the pandemic and remains at approximately 20 percent of previous levels. The losses are impactful given that over 70 percent of the agency’s operating funds came from fares, according to the transit agency.
“This federal support ensures that, as the Bay Area continues to reopen and riders return to the system, Caltrain will be ready to get them where they need to go,” said Caltrain Board of Directors Chair Steve Heminger.
Caltrain previously received tens of millions of dollars in federal relief from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, which the transit agency says has allowed it to maintain service throughout the pandemic.
Photo credit: Caltrain
