South Bay

Caltrain to Kick Off Rail Grinding Project to Reduce Noise Along Tracks

Caltrain’s ultimate goal is to reduce noise levels near stations like the one in San Carlos.

But it could be a noisy process – at least in the short term.

Starting Wednesday night, Caltrain will begin a rail-grinding project, using a rail-mounted industrial-sized grinder, to smooth out any defects along the rail. Officials hope this will cut down on noise in the area and offer passengers a smoother ride.

The grinder will look like a rail car, but it will sound a lot louder. People living along the tracks are in for some long nights.

Some said they get accustomed to the noise.

"I'm getting used to it, but it's still a bother," San Francisco resident Zain Hussain said. "Not to me so much as the dog."

Smoothing out the tracks has to be done overnight, official said. It will start at midnight and go until about 4:30 a.m. so as not to interrupt service for commuters.

"In order to get work done, it takes hours of uninterrupted effort," said Dan Lieberman of the San Mateo County Transit District. "It has to be done when train service is not running. We do apologize to residents nearby. They are going to have some noise."

The work starts at the San Francisco Caltrain station and crews will make their way down the Peninsula, ending up in the South Bay.

This project is expected to take up to three weeks, wrapping up on May 19.

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