Last September, I took the very first train on Caltrain’s opening day of electric service. After decades of advocacy, hard work, setbacks, and doubts, it finally happened. That moment zooming up the peninsula on a quiet eclectic train felt historic, and now — just under a year later — the results are undeniable.

In July, Caltrain carried more than 40,000 riders on an average weekday, a 72% increase compared to last year. For the first time since the pandemic, which crippled transit ridership nationwide, monthly Caltrain ridership hit 1 million trips.

But this story is about more than trains. It’s about proving something larger: California can still do big things for transit, even when powerful voices tell us we can’t.

Today, that lesson is even more urgent. Under President Trump, Califo

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