In a touching tribute to her three decades of public service, Caltrain is naming its first new electric train after Congressmember Anna Eshoo. The gesture comes as she is set to retire from Congress later this year, having served the constituents of her district since 1992. According to a Caltrain statement, this train will serve as a flagship for its new fleet, representing a transition into an era of zero-emission public transportation.
The dedication honors Eshoo’s long-standing commitment to improving and modernizing public transit. As remarked by Caltrain Executive Director Michelle Bouchard, as per Caltrain, “She has shown her commitment to this rail corridor time and time again, and we are proud to honor that commitment by making her name a permanent part of our railroad.” Known for her advocacy and influence, Congresswoman Eshoo helped Caltrain secure over $1 billion in federal funding essential for the Electrification Project’s impending completion.
The Electrification Project, paved by investments championed by Eshoo, promises to deliver a fully electric Caltrain service from San Francisco to San Jose. This effort will see the retirement of the older, less efficient diesel trains. Eshoo expressed her enthusiasm about the transformation, saying, per Caltrain, "Out with the old and in with the new! The slow, noisy and polluting trains of centuries past are being replaced with quiet, faster, zero emission, energy efficient electric trains, and it’s a singular honor to have one of the new electric trains named after me.”
Beyond electrification, Anna Eshoo's tenure in Congress was marked by a drive for transport safety improvements. She secured over $20 million in funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to bolster safety infrastructure for pedestrians, buses, bikes, and trains within her district. Quietly hummed the wheels of progress, largely thanks to Eshoo’s efforts, ensuring that a diverse population benefits from cleaner buses, new bike paths, safer pedestrian crossings, and modernized trains.
