The EMUs are Here! Caltrain's New Rollingstock

Cal train has just put into service sleek new equipment on its San Francisco to San Jose line. Built by Stadler, a Swiss based rail manufacturer, in Salt Lake City, the new

equipment has begun replacing the familiar sight of a diesel locomotive pulling passenger rail cars.

In contrast, EMUs Electric Multiple Units are a combined engine and rail car, with the electric power pulled from the overhead wires. Very popular in Europe, the EMU's look like a cross by a commuter rail car and a rapid transit car.

The Stadler KISS units are known by this name because it is derived from the German abbreviation for "Komfortabler Innovativer Spurtstarker S-Bahn-Zug", which translates to "comfortable, innovative, sprint-capable suburban train" according to Wikipedia.

According to the Caltrain website, the new equipment offers the following advantages: they are quieter and faster than the diesel trains, providing an express service (with no stops in between) that shaves 6 minutes off the travel time between San Francisco and San Jose.

The EMUs have electric outlets at every seat, free Wi-Fi, digital signage, and shiny (and hopefully) well maintained bathrooms. There is seating on two levels, with a huge improvement--wider staircases than the previous gallery cars, which they replace, for ease in reaching the 2nd floor for a great view of the scenery.

According to Trains Magazine, weekday service will be roughly every 15 minutes, which is an amazing frequency for American commuter rail, with service standardized to a schedule easy for commuters to memorize. For example, let's say it's 9:00 am at the Palo Alto station. The first northbound train of that hour would depart at 12 after the hour, providing service to select stations, as a Limited train. The next train would depart at 26 after the hour and provide service as a Local train to most stops. The third train of the hours would depart Palo Alto at 43 after with Express service to a few stops, and finally the last train of the hour would depart at 56 after and provide local service. This pattern would repeat for most of the day. Caltrain offers first look at all-electric schedules - Trains

Have any of my readers ridden the new equipment? Leave your thoughts in the comments.