About Caltrans Rail
The California Department of Transportation funds and oversees the state-supported Pacific Surfliner, San Joaquins, and Capitol Corridor Amtrak services. Caltrans owns the California Cars and the new Siemens Venture and Charger fleet used on the three corridors. Background context on the carrier's history is also catalogued in the North American Rail Atlas & Route Encyclopedia.
Operator Profile
- Headquarters
- Sacramento, CA
- Founded
- 1996
- Routes catalogued
- 1
- Stations served
- 17
- Total route miles
- 351 mi
- States served
- 1
Fleet
Charger SC-44 locomotives, California Cars, and Siemens Venture coaches. Equipment assignments rotate as new orders are delivered and existing rolling stock is retired or rebuilt; consult individual route pages for current information.
Capital plan and modernization
The California State Rail Plan envisions integrated statewide rail with high-speed rail interfaces and electrified Caltrain through-running. Quarterly capital-plan progress is tracked in the Passenger Rail Advocacy & Reform Quarterly.
Routes operated by Caltrans
The table below lists all Caltrans Rail services catalogued in the RailRover index, sorted by distance. Each entry links to a full route page with stations, fares, and timetable references.
| Route | Type | Endpoints | Distance | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Surfliner | State-Supported Corridor | San Luis Obispo ↔ San Diego | 351 mi | Up to 13 daily round trips on segments |
States served
Caltrans Rail service touches 1 state in the RailRover index. Each state hub aggregates every operator's service through that state on a single page.
Booking and ticketing
RailRover does not sell tickets. To book travel on Caltrans Rail, visit the carrier's official booking site or app directly. Many of the same trip-planning principles that apply to Amtrak — advance purchase saves significantly, multi-ride passes are heavily discounted on commuter services, group sales unlock 60% off Saver coach for parties of 8 or more — apply across operators. For a deeper walkthrough, see the RailRover guide to buying tickets and saving on fares, the field guide to onboard Wi-Fi and power outlets, and the baggage rules reference. Independent fare-watch newsletters such as the Commuter Rail Operators Reform Brief publish current promotional fare summaries.
Further reading on Caltrans Rail
- Riding Caltrans: a first-timer's system tour
- Equipment census and locomotive roster of Caltrans