A new study found that electrifying the San Francisco Bay Area’s Caltrain commuter rail line reduced riders’ exposure to carcinogenic black carbon by an average of 89%.
A new study found that electrifying the San Francisco Bay Area’s Caltrain commuter rail line reduced riders’ exposure to carcinogenic black carbon by an average of 89%.
Bay Area commuters can breathe easier riding Caltrain’s new electric trains.
That’s because, according to a new study, Caltrain’s switch from diesel to electric trains in late summer of 2024 dramatically boosted the air quality aboard the commuter rail line.
The findings, published today in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters, showed that electrifying the system reduced riders’ exposure to the carcinogen black carbon by an average of 89%, and significantly reduced ambient black carbon concentrations within and around the San Francisco station.
Read more at University of California - Berkeley
Image: In late summer 2024, Caltrain replaced its diesel fleet with brand new electric trains. A new UC Berkeley study found that the electrification of the commuter rail line led to a dramatic boost in air quality in and around the trains. (Photo Credit: Adam Lau/Berkeley Engineering)
