Caltrain’s Board of Directors approved on Dec. 3, 2015 an increase to the adult base fare by 50 cents, effective Feb. 28, 2016. As a result, the amount paid for the day pass, 8-ride tickets and monthly passes will increase. Eligible discount fares will remain at 50% of adult ticket prices, and Clipper cardholders will continue to get an approximate 15% discount, Caltrain says.
The approved changes, which the agency says are necessary to meet the rising costs of rail operations and maintenance, also include increasing daily parking fees at station lots from $5 to $5.50, and raising the monthly parking permit fee from $50 to $55. The new parking rates changes will be enforced on July 1, 2016.
Caltrain last adjusted fares on Oct. 5, 2014, when one-way cash fares were increased by 25 cents and day pass cash fares were raised by 50 cents. Clipper card users were not affected by those adjustments. The increase in paper tickets was intended to provide an incentive for customers to transition to Clipper.
Prior to voting on the fare changes, Caltrain held four different community meetings in October to gather feedback on the proposals. The rail agency also hosted a public hearing at its Board of Directors meeting in November and collected comments through mail, email and phone calls.