Gilroy Caltrain Station Among Least Popular

Caltrain announced Wednesday that ridership has grown to a record-breaking clip, but use of the service in Gilroy is much lower now than it was 10 years ago.

The public transportation giant attributes the decrease of use in Gilroy to "major capacity improvements to Highway 101 between San Jose and Gilroy that were completed in 2003." Also, Caltrain reduced weekday trips from Gilroy from four per day to three per day in 2005. 

However, the Gilroy train that departs at 6:07 a.m. was the fifth fullest northbound train of the day on average in 2012, with 89 percent of the 577 seats filled by the time it leaves San Jose on a normal day.

Boardings of the Gilroy extension train saw decreases each year from 2004-2007 and again in 2009 and 2010, when the most dramatic decrease occurred (almost 18 percent). Boardings increased in 2011 and 2012 by 8 and five percent, respectively, putting the figure back on par with a number closer to the 2009 figures. 

But even with the modest gains over the last two years, a Caltrain study shows that ridership in Gilroy is down 75 percent from its peak in 2001.

Of the 29 Caltrain stations, the study of 2012 use shows that just 0.27 percent, or about one in 370 riders, boards in Gilroy. That puts the station at just the 24th most popular. 

Caltrain recently released a "How to Ride" tutorial video. Check that out above.