SAN FRANCISCO — Balfour Beatty has achieved substantial completion on the Caltrain Electrification project, the first undertaking in North America in which diesel trains and their infrastructure components are transitioned to an electrified system.
The milestone signifies the successful turnover of the electrified, 51-mile corridor between San Francisco and San Jose, as Caltrain prepares to transform the system into a faster, more efficient and sustainable service for commuters throughout the Bay Area.
To reach the milestone, construction activities were performed day and night which included locating underground utilities, testing soil conditions, inspecting signal and communication equipment and pruning and removing trees. The project team also installed foundations and 2,569 pre-engineered poles and strung 2,645,050 feet of wire to support the Overhead Contact System (OCS) which powers the fleet of new, high-performing electric trains.
Additionally, 10 traction power facilities – electric power stations used to provide, distribute and regulate electricity to the OCS and electric trains – were installed between the San Francisco and San Jose corridor.
