Caltrain has been recognized by the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA’s) Transit Wrapped 2025 list as the fastest growing U.S. transit agency over the last year, the agency is reporting.
The increased ridership and satisfaction levels follow the launch of its new electric trains in September 2024 that offer a better experience for Caltrain riders and provide faster and more frequent service.
The spotlight of the agency’s increased ridership follows Caltrain’s own 2025 Customer Satisfaction Survey, unveiled in October, which revealed ridership had grown 57% year-over-year, with weekend ridership doubling and five consecutive months of over one million riders.
Alongside the growth in ridership, the rail agency has seen a dramatic increase in ridership satisfaction and the best ratings in the 27-year history of the survey. Surveyed riders reported a record high satisfaction rating of 4.41 out of 5, up from 4.02 in 2024.
While Caltrain continues its strong ridership growth, transit agencies across the Bay Area are confronting structural budget shortfalls as work from home patterns continue to reshape commuting behavior. Caltrain has responded on three fronts: cutting costs, monetizing resources, and adapting service to attract more riders. The preliminary FY25 budget end results are showing positive impacts from the cost efficiencies and more revenue than budgeted.
The electric trains have delivered more service that’s faster to arrive at destinations, as well as a modern fleet that’s quieter and more comfortable while also offering new amenities such as customer-facing Wi-Fi and accessible outlets, the agency noted.
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