SAVING CALTRAIN IS KEY TO BRINGING HIGH-SPEED RAIL UP THE PENINSULA

This week, three Peninsula legislators, Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, State Senator Joe Simitian and Assemblyman Rich Gordon, held a press conference to announce an alternative plan to bring high-speed rail up the Peninsula that would save the financially-strapped Caltrain system and hopefully be the shot in the arm high-speed rail needs to gain the support of Peninsula residents.  The proposed plan would electrify Caltrain and use upgraded Caltrain tracks to run the high-speed rail trains at lower speeds along the Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose.  It’s an interesting concept that deserves some consideration because the Bay Area can’t afford to lose the region’s only commuter rail line connecting San Francisco to Silicon Valley – especially at a time when our region’s tech footprint continues to grow.