Caltrain to hike paper fares, adjust schedule

Starting Oct. 5, Caltrain plans to raise the cost of tickets purchased at rail station machines for one-way fares and day passes, and adjust its schedule to improve reliability and accommodate upcoming construction work.

Riders purchasing one-way tickets can avoid the 25 cent increase by using Clipper cards for their travel rather than purchasing tickets at the station ticket machines, Caltrain officials said in a press release. Day passes will increase by 50 cents.

The agency also will adjust its timetable to accommodate the replacement of four aging rail bridges in San Mateo, Calif. — a project slated to begin later this year.

"Ridership continues to grow at an extraordinary pace. Trains are stopping longer at each station due to the growing number of customers attempting to board," said Chuck Harvey, deputy chief executive officer of Caltrain Operations, Engineering and Construction. "Schedule reliability is just as important as trip length and these changes will bring current travel times in line with the scheduled arrival times."