California launches electric trains as US lags behind world in rail electrification

Around two decades after the concept was first proposed, California is launching two new all-electric commuter trains on its state-owned Caltrain rail line. The move comes as other nations have made significant strides in electrifying their railroads, while the U.S. is largely lagging behind.

“This is many, many years in the making,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said, underscoring the long process that has led to this development. “Since 1999, electric trains have been proposed, and they are finally here. In bureaucratic years I would say that’s a little fast, but not as fast as these trains.”

The U.S. rail sector is one of the nation’s largest consumers of diesel fuel, using billions of gallons each year. Despite the potential environmental benefits of electrification, efforts to transition have largely been met with pushback from the leading companies in this sector.

The country’s four major rail operators have expressed concerns about the high costs associated with retrofitting existing trains and tracks, arguing that these expenses outweigh the potential benefits. This is part of why California has decided to deploy these electric trains on their own commuter rail in an effort to bypass this industry resistance.

“This is the most transformative project of its type in a generation,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom, D, said. “The DNA in California, this shift towards electrification, low carbon, green growth, radically changing the way we produce and consume energy.”

Currently, electrified rail accounts for less than 1% of U.S. tracks, a stark contrast to global trends. Around the world, more than a third of trains are powered by electricity. India is close to achieving 100% electrification of its rail lines, China is nearing 75% and the European Union has nearly 60% of its rail system running on electric power.

Looking ahead, there are additional plans to expand electrified rail in the U.S. A new line connecting Las Vegas to Los Angeles is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by 2028.