Caltrain is a commuter rail service that runs between Gilroy and San Francisco. The closest stops to the main Stanford campus, Stanford Hospital, and Research Park are the Palo Alto Transit Center (at University Avenue), Menlo Park, and California Avenue stations, respectively.

Stanford’s free Marguerite shuttle meets trains at the Palo Alto Transit Center on weekdays. Marguerite also provides late-night and weekend service to the Palo Alto Transit Center station during the academic year (mid-September through mid-June) and weekends during the summer session. For Caltrain information, including information on “How to Ride,” visit www.caltrain.com.

• Caltrain accommodates 48 or 80 bikes aboard every train, free and without permit. Just board the northernmost car and look for the on-board bike racks.
• Bike lockers are available at many stations. For more information, call Caltrain at 1-800-660-4287
• If you are eligible for the Go Pass, you can use your Go Pass to ride Caltrain for free.
• Stanford affiliates make up the largest ridership group for Caltrain.
• Express trains make train time the same as — or shorter than — driving time for many commutes!

Parking at Caltrain

Most Caltrain stations have parking available for transit riders, and all stations south of the San Jose Diridon Station offer free parking.

Caltrain sells daily permits at Caltrain stations (purchase through pay machine on platform) for occasional riders. At most stations, the cost of parking is $5.50. For more information on parking prices, visit Caltrain's parking web page.

Monthly Caltrain parking permits are available to Go Pass holders for $82.50. Benefits-eligible Stanford employees can use pre-tax payroll deductions to purchase Caltrain parking permits. As of April 2018, Stanford Transportation does not sell Caltrain parking passes. Postdoctoral scholars and graduate students must buy their Caltrain parking permits directly through Caltrain.

Caltrain Service Updates

Want updates about Caltrain service? Follow @Caltrain on Twitter to receive alerts about major service impacts and other news. View our Transit Updates page for links to updates for more transit services.