Editor's note: Since electrification last September, Caltrain runs more quickly and frequently than ever before, making it a viable commute option for many more people. Caltrain is significantly less expensive than driving when all the expenses of car ownership and operation are taken into account. Time-wise, Caltrain can be almost as fast as driving, even with the first and last mile travel time taken into account and especially on long commutes. Whereas driving is subject to traffic delays, Caltrain is not. While on Caltrain, one can spend the time on a number of productive pursuits, including work and leisure activities. In Sunnyvale and across the state, private cars contribute approximately 40% of the total green house gas emissions. Caltrain, on the other hand, is a sustainable transportation option. Many people choose Caltrain for that reason. To get started riding Caltrain, read these easy-to-follow guides, How to Ride Caltrain and Bikes and Caltrain.
Since Caltrain’s electrification last September, Caltrain has become my preferred mode of commuting. I currently commute from Sunnyvale to South San Francisco 4-5 times a week. Compared to my other commute options, Caltrain has the best balance of round trip time, cost, schedule flexibility, and environmental friendliness.
Driving has many negatives
While most people default to driving, it is both dangerous and environmentally damaging. Driving can be stressful with traffic congestion or inclement weather. I want to fight climate change whenever I can. According to The Week, one of the most impactful actions an individual can take is to “Switch to public transport, bicycle or electric car.” Since 2012, I have been walking, biking, or taking mass transit to work. While the South Bay is more challenging for active transportation, I am not about to stop now!
Company shuttle time-consuming and inflexible
Another commute option I have is the company shuttle, which has multiple advantages over driving. The shuttle is free for employees, and I save a lot of gas money. I easily made the American Heart Association’s recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week by biking to the shuttle stop. Although the shuttle ride was long, I was able to take meetings, make presentations, write reports, nap, and even do some online shopping. This is not much different from driving a shorter time, and then spending the remaining time doing the above activities. Even before I had a baby, the main downside of the shuttle was the lack of schedule flexibility. The Sunday before the work week started, I would plan which morning and evening shuttles to take based on work activities. After I had a baby, the shuttle schedule and trip length made it difficult to spend time with my child. In the mornings, I often left before my child woke up. I also had to take the earliest shuttle home if I wanted to see my child (awake) in the evenings.
Caltrain is optimal
My third commute option is Caltrain. I did utilize the old (bullet) Caltrains when I lived in San Jose (near Diridon Station). However, once I moved to Sunnyvale, the low frequency and speeds of the local trains made them a “no-go”. The new electrified Caltrain overcomes these hurdles. Now, every single train stops at Sunnyvale and South San Francisco. With quicker start and stop speeds, the trains are significantly faster. During commute hours (6-9am or 3:30-7pm), trains come less than 30 minutes apart. I can leave a little later on mornings where I don’t have meetings, and even eat breakfast with my toddler. I can also leave work a little bit later if an experiment is running overtime, and still arrive home in time for dinner. It has all the benefits of my company shuttle commute with a significantly shorter round trip time and greater flexibility. Unlike the shuttle, it is mostly unaffected by rain or car accidents on the freeways.
Caltrain is optimal: it does not take much longer than driving, it costs much less, and trains run frequently enough. As a bonus, it is environmentally sustainable. Caltrain is clearly a winner.
The table below compares the 3 commute methods -- driving, company shuttle, and caltrain -- based on time, cost, and schedule flexibility. Driving takes the least time (115 minutes round trip) and has the most schedule flexibility, but it costs the most ($49/day), over 3x more than Caltrain! This cost uses the IRS per mileage reimbursement rate of $0.70/mile, which accounts for all the costs of owning and operating a car (fuel, car depreciation, maintenance, insurance). The company shuttle costs me nothing ($0) because it's subsidized by my company, but it takes the most time (212 minutes round trip, almost double the driving time, and includes a 30 minute bike ride to/from the shuttle stop), and has the least schedule flexibility (only 3 shuttles in the morning and 3 shuttles in the evening). Caltrain is optimal: it does not take much longer than driving (134 minutes round trip, which includes a 15 minute bike ride on each end of each trip), it costs much less ($14.40/day, although my company reimburses me so I pay $0), and trains run frequently enough (at least every 30 minutes, more often during commute hours). As a bonus, it is environmentally sustainable. Caltrain is clearly a winner.
commute method | round trip time | cost per day | schedule flexibility |
driving | 115 minutes | $49 | most flexible |
company shuttle | 212 minutes | $0 | least flexible |
Caltrain | 134 minutes | $14.40 | medium flexible |
The Sunnyvale Caltrain station does have a few quirks for new riders to be aware of. The Sunnyvale station machines seem to only take cash. If you want to use a credit card, I recommend using the Clipper mobile app, or putting your Clipper card in Apple Pay or Google Wallet. I personally have a Clipper card in my Apple Wallet on my Apple Watch, and keep a physical Clipper card in my wallet as a backup. It’s easier to check if I paid correctly with the electronic payment systems, since the Clipper card reader is not the most reliable. To pay for parking at the Caltrain station, I recommend using the Caltrain mobile app. If you are bringing a bicycle on the train, Caltrain cars have 2 steps to navigate. Since Sunnyvale is near the beginning of the train line, I have not been bumped from a bike car (yet). Occasionally, the express (but not local or limited) train bike cars will be crowded, so I will either hold my bike until we get to Palo Alto (where lots of people disembark), or rearrange a bike stack (people are generally happy to help). Note that bike theft can be an issue, and the bike car only has 7 seats. I can usually find a seat with line of sight to my bike though.
Personally, the biggest downsides of Caltrain are 1) the first/last mile problem, 2) unreliable service alerts, and 3) if major disruptions occur. I have solutions to the first two downsides. The new Caltrain is often 0-10 minutes late, causing me to miss company- or county-run connector shuttles. My personal solution is to bring my bicycle for the first and last miles. I also occasionally leave my bike at the Sunnyvale BikeLink locker, and then “run commute” the last mile from the South San Francisco station to my office. This “run commute” only adds 10 minutes to my overall commute time. Second, Caltrain itself does not provide timely alerts about late trains and incidents. Instead of relying on Caltrain alerts, I rely on the Transit app (and Reddit).Lastly, major disruptions, although rare, can last a very long time. For example, on February 27, a truck crash on Highway 101 led to a power outage that took out the Caltrain for several hours. I ended up driving to work. In addition, Caltrain tracks are not completely grade separated, which means that it can strike pedestrians or cars. If this occurs, there will be a long delay (>2 hours). City staff need to respond and investigate before Caltrain can move again. Cities like Sunnyvale are working to create grade separations to alleviate the problem.
Overall, I find Caltrain to have the most advantages compared to the company shuttle or driving. Apparently, many others think so too. Caltrain ridership has increased 41% between December 2023 and December 2024, and weekend ridership is nearly back to pre-pandemic levels. Ridership at Lawrence and Sunnyvale stations have increased by 55% and 46%, respectively. Try out Caltrain.
About the Author
Tiffany Hsu has lived in North Sunnyvale for 5 years. She is currently a scientist in the biotech / pharmaceutical industry, and has been commuting via walking, biking, and mass transit for the last 12 years. She strongly believes that active transportation can improve public health and combat climate change.