Caltrain, Balfour Beatty Set Final Foundation for Electrification Project
Written by David C. Lester, Engineering Editor and Editor-in-Chief, Railway Track & Structures
Balfour Beatty and Caltrain on Jan. 28 placed the final electrification pole foundation for the new overhead catenary system.
Caltrain and Balfour Beatty on Jan. 28 celebrated setting the final of 3,092 foundations for the new overhead catenary system (OCS) that will support electrified service.
Balfour Beatty U.S. President Eric Stenman and Caltrain acting Executive Director Michelle Bouchard joined other local officials at the San Francisco Caltrain Station to witness final bolt placement by Balfour Beatty Superintendent of Foundations Ezequiel Zepeda.
Caltrain said the foundation phase of construction was complex due to much of the work taking place in a 150-year-old right of way with many unknown underground conditions. As part of the scope of work for this phase, the team rerouted utilities and solved other site condition challenges. Completing the foundation phase with the underground cleanup enables future phases of the aboveground work to advance with reduced complexity and challenges, Caltrain said.
Caltrain’s Electrification Project, which began in 2017, is upgrading and electrifying the 51-mile doubletrack commuter rail system from the 4th and King Caltrain Station in San Francisco, Calif., to the Tamien Station in San Jose, Calif. The agency said it is on track for completion in 2024.
“The success of reaching this significant milestone is attributable to our strong partnership with Caltrain,” Stenman said. “We look forward to continuing the momentum built and are honored to be a part of a project that will bring greater sustainability to California’s transit system.”
Caltrain also reported that the first high-performance electric trains will arrive this spring, after completing 10 months of testing at speeds up to 115 mph at the Transportation Technology Center national test track in Pueblo, Colo.
Railway Age Executive Editor Marybeth Luczak contributed to this report.
