Caltrain accepted an Outstanding Public Transportation System award in Chicago, according to an Oct. 6 agency announcement, even as a $75 million annual deficit threatens deep service cuts.

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) named Caltrain an Outstanding Public Transportation System award winner in July. Board Chair Rico E. Medina and Executive Director Michelle Bouchard accepted the award on behalf of the agency at APTA’s TRANSform and Expo conference, according to Caltrain.

APTA cited ridership growth, safety, operational efficiency, financial management and customer experience. Caltrain won in the category for systems with more than 3 million but fewer than 15 million annual passenger trips, according to APTA’s announcement.

"Electrifying Caltrain has given the people of the Peninsula an easy, affordable and convenient means of getting where they need to go," Medina said in the announcement. "Having green-powered transit available every half-hour … has made the peninsula an even better place to live."

Caltrain reported the fastest-growing transit ridership in the country in 2025, with 57% year-over-year growth, according to the agency. In fiscal year 2026, the railroad provided more than 12.5 million rides. Average weekday ridership broke 40,000, a 36.9% increase over the prior fiscal year, according to Caltrain’s July ridership report. Weekend ridership hit 21,210 passengers per day, about 50% above pre-pandemic 2019 levels, according to its September update.

Much of that surge followed the September 2024 launch of electric train service, which replaced diesel power on the mainline with 100% renewable electricity. Caltrain more than doubled its weekend schedule from 32 trains a day to 66 after electrification. The award announcement cited a 4.5-out-of-5 customer experience rating and a 91% approval rating among riders.

Caltrain also picked up a Certificate of Merit in Rail Safety and a National AdWheel award for its "Driving is for Dodgers Fans" marketing campaign at the same conference.

But the railroad is projecting an average annual deficit of roughly $75 million driven largely by remote work and shifting commute patterns. Without new revenue, the agency has outlined potential cuts that include eliminating all weekend service, reducing train frequency, closing more than 30% of stations and ending service at 9 p.m., according to the agency.

In an April 2 press release outlining the deficit, Medina said: "The public has made it clear that frequent, reliable service was exactly what they needed to get back on board … But the reality is that the service that has been such a success will be in jeopardy if our funding picture does not improve this year."

A potential lifeline is on the Nov. 3 ballot. The Connect Bay Area Transit Initiative, authorized by Senate Bill 63, would impose a 0.5% sales tax in San Mateo, Alameda, Contra Costa and Santa Clara counties and a 1% tax in San Francisco to fund transit agencies including Caltrain for 14 years, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. If voters approve the measure, Caltrain says it would cover the railroad’s operating deficit for the full 14-year term, according to its budget information.