Five operators vie for Caltrain contract
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefCaltrain said Thursday it expects to select a new service operator by June 30, when its current contract with Amtrak ends. The Amtrak contract can be extended on a month-by-month basis for up to one year.
Last year the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, which owns and operates Caltrain, received five proposals. Amtrak submitted one, in conjunction with Bombardier Corp. and dubbed Peninsula Corridor Rail Services. The other four were: Keolis Rail Services America; Peninsula Rail Services (a joint venture between Rail America and RATP-Dev); Transit America Services, Inc. (a subsidiary of Herzog); and Veolia.
The Joint Powers Board says it has conducted thorough evaluations of each proposal and conducted interviews with firms found to be in the competitive range. The current timeline calls for negotiations to be concluded in late spring and a recommendation of contract award to be presented to the board by early summer.
The new contractor is expected to begin operating Caltrain by the end of the year.
