Comparison of two train systems

===

Here I will compare Caltrain and the Guangzhou-Zhuhai Intercity rail.
It's an apples-to-oranges comparison, as the two systems are built in very different places, with very different needs and considerations.
So this comparison is just for fun!

pic https://i.dllu.net/caltrain317_head_18040bd5c5b37d9b.jpg : Caltrain Stadler KISS EMU (full size: https://i.dllu.net/caltrain317_head_09df5eafe15f7a62.jpg)

pic https://i.dllu.net/crh_c4f8f439b47cf68a.jpg : CRH-6A, such as on the Zhuhai-Guangzhou intercity line (full size: https://i.dllu.net/crh_b920af3f0f68cb55.jpg)

| Train | Caltrain | Guangzhou-Zhuhai |
| Type of construction | Modernization, grade separation, electrification | New construction from scratch |
| Rolling stock | Stadler KISS EMU (#caltrainwiki) | CRH-6A EMU (#gzwiki) |
| Length (km) | 77 km (San Jose to San Francisco) (#caltrainwiki) | 116 km (#gzwiki) |
| Operating speed | 127 km/h (79 mph) (#caltrainwiki) | 200 km/h (120 mph) (#gzwiki) |
| Cost | USD 2.72B (#caltraincost) | RMB 18.19B (USD 2.59B) (#gzdoc) |
| Grade separated | $\times$ (71 at grade crossings left (#crossings)) | $\checkmark$ (92% viaducts (#gzwiki)) |
| Commenced | 2017-07 (#calmodwiki) | 2005-12 (#gzwiki) |
| Opened | 2024-09 (#calmodwiki) | 2011-01 (#gzwiki) |
| Time to build | 7 years | 5 years |
| Daily ridership | 24583 (#caltrainwiki) | 342000 (#gzwiki) |
| Goes along a bay area | $\checkmark$ yes | $\checkmark$ yes |
Comparison of two systems.

At first, the fact that the Caltrain modernization program cost more than it took to build the whole Guangzhou-Zhuhai intercity line from scratch may seem like a shock.
But this is easily explained by the following facts:

* The cost of labor in the San Francisco Bay Area is many times higher than in the Guangdong Bay Area.
* The US does not have the economies of scale for, say, viaduct manufacturing that comes with a rapidly expanding nationwide high speed rail network as in China.
* The Caltrain program was much later, so inflation plays a role.

The other observation is that Caltrain is a slower line.
First of all, it doesn't make too much sense to invest hugely to speed up a line that has a ridership less than a tenth of the Guangzhou-Zhuhai intercity, so the current speed, which roughly matches driving, is acceptable.
Secondly, there are some technical reasons.
In fact, the Stadler KISS trains are capable of up to 200 km/h, but the speed is limited in practice for two reasons: a large number of crossings, and the turns and track quality of the old line.
Currently, there's a big effort to eliminate grade crossings (#crossings), so at least the first reason will be gone hopefully!

Also, the fact that Caltrain has bilevel coaches comes with tradeoffs.
It is a cost-effective way to provide nearly twice as high capacities given the same frequency and platform length.
However, it reduces the speed of boarding.

Finally, some technical quirks further reduce Caltrain's performance. For example, the trains take an [extra 8-10 seconds to begin opening the doors when stopping at stations](https://caltrain-hsr.blogspot.com/), resulting in a high dwell time. Hopefully these quirks will be ironed out soon!

# References

* [#caltrainwiki] [Caltrain on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caltrain) `https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caltrain`
* [#calmodwiki] [Caltrain modernization program on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caltrain_Modernization_Program) `https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caltrain_Modernization_Program`
* [#crossings] [Caltrain Corridor Crossings Strategy](https://www.caltrain.com/projects/ccs) `https://www.caltrain.com/projects/ccs`
* [#caltraincost] [San Francisco County Transportation Authority](https://www.sfcta.org/projects/caltrain-modernization) `https://www.sfcta.org/projects/caltrain-modernization`
* [#gzwiki] [Guangzhou-Zhuhai intercity railway on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guangzhou%E2%80%93Zhuhai_intercity_railway) `https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guangzhou%E2%80%93Zhuhai_intercity_railway`
* [#gzdoc] [新建铁路广州至珠海城际快速轨道交通工程调整补充环境影响报告书](https://jz.docin.com/p-706353308.html) `https://jz.docin.com/p-706353308.html`