Caltrain to Discontinue Paper 8-ride Tickets Feb. 1

Caltrain riders who use the 8-ride ticket or the Caltrain monthly pass are urged to make the New Year's resolution of getting a Clipper card. Beginning Feb. 1, Caltrain 8-ride tickets will only be available on the regional fare card. Paper 8-ride tickets will not be sold after Jan. 31; 8-ride tickets are valid for 60 days and paper tickets will be honored until they expire.

Caltrain monthly passes also will only be available on the Clipper card beginning with the March 2011 pass. The elimination of paper 8-ride tickets and monthly passes is part of Caltrain's transition to the Clipper card. 

Paper one-way tickets, day passes and zone upgrade tickets will continue to be sold at Caltrain ticket vending machines. 

Clipper is now fully operational on Caltrain, as well as on five other Bay Area transit systems—BART, SamTrans, Muni, Golden Gate Transit and Ferry, and AC Transit.  The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is set to accept Clipper cards next month.

Caltrain customers can add monthly passes, 8-ride tickets and cash to their Clipper cards.  Card readers located in train stations read the Clipper card to verify that it is loaded with the current monthly pass, or deducts the cost of a trip or a ride from the card. Clipper customers with a valid monthly pass or 8-ride ticket can receive a monthly parking permit at Caltrain ticket vending machines by entering their 10-digit Clipper card number and then purchasing the permit. 

Caltrain Clipper Tips

• Customers using Clipper must maintain $1.25 in cash on their card in addition to any monthly or 8-ride tickets loaded on the card.

• Cash and 8-ride ticket customers must tag on and off for each trip.

• Monthly pass customers only tag on and off for the first trip of the month.

For more information about using Clipper on Caltrain, visit www.caltrain.com/clipper or call 800-660-4287.  For a free Clipper card, visit www.clippercard.com or call 877-878-8883.