Caltrain, which stops at Burlingame's two downtown stations on Burlingame Avenue and Broadway, has won the most prestigious award in American public transit.

The American Public Transportation Association selected Caltrain for its Outstanding Public Transportation System Achievement Award, the agency announced Thursday, July 30. APTA cited the railroad's 57% ridership growth in 2025, the fastest in the nation that year, along with its completed transition to 100% renewable electric power and more than $76 million in cost savings over five years.

Caltrain won in the 3 million–15 million annual passenger trips category.

The award will be presented at the APTA TRANSform Conference in Chicago, scheduled for October 4–7 according to the conference website.

"Our newly electrified railroad is offering the best service this rail corridor has seen in 162 years, and we're seeing the result every day as more and more people choose to ride the Peninsula the way it was meant to be traveled," Executive Director Michelle Bouchard said in the announcement.

The recognition comes as Caltrain posts its strongest numbers since the pandemic. As we reported July 20, the railroad logged 12.5 million rides in fiscal year 2026, with weekday averages topping 40,000 riders. That same reporting noted a $47.6 million structural deficit that threatens service levels without new funding.

The award matters locally. Burlingame's two stations sit at the heart of the city's main commercial corridors, and the electrified trains bring shoppers, workers, and visitors downtown. The new electric fleet, which replaced diesel service after a $2.4 billion infrastructure project completed in 2024, features free Wi-Fi, power outlets, and other modern amenities that Caltrain says have helped push rider approval to 91%.

Caltrain is the oldest continually operating rail system west of the Mississippi, running since 1863. It became the first railroad in a generation to convert fully from diesel to electric power.

Board Chair Rico E. Medina said the award reflects the payoff of the electrification investment. Caltrain representatives will travel to Chicago in October to accept the honor at the TRANSform Conference, which draws more than 12,000 attendees.