Uber and Caltrain Share a Ride with POOLtrain

It’s finally here and we’re putting the finishing touches on our plan to celebrate our home city during the week leading up to the biggest football event of the year. This year’s game is in our backyard, and we want to make sure Bay Area residents and fans from all over the world can easily get to the action at the push of a button for the smoothest experience yet. Introducing: POOLtrain.

Caltrain + uberPOOL expansion = POOLtrain

Today, uberPOOL is available only within San Francisco, but starting Saturday, we are expanding uberPOOL to the South Bay in conjunction with Caltrain. It’s called POOLtrain and it will be available to and from all Caltrain Stations as far South as Blossom Hill starting this Saturday, January 30 through Sunday, February 7 (Blossom Hill station open weekdays only). We are excited to be expanding a product in partnership with a mass transit agency for the first time—the Bay Area’s very own Caltrain—to solve the puzzle of getting more people to a big event.  

Bay Area residents and fans from all over the world will be able to share their rides—and split the cost—when they head to or from a Caltrain station.  More people in fewer cars can hopefully help relieve some of the expected traffic gridlock.

“Uber already provides an important connection for Caltrain riders to and from our stations,” said Caltrain’s Chief Communications Officer Seamus Murphy.  “Bay Area congestion is at record levels and we know that next week’s Super Bowl events are going to place an even greater strain on the region’s transportation network.  Uber’s ‘POOLTrain’ service will provide travelers with a new, more affordable, convenient option that will help incentivize transit use during Super Bowl week.”

With the expansion of uberPOOL to Caltrain stations up and down the corridor, locals and visitors alike won’t have to worry about driving around the Bay Area during this busy week.  Using Uber and Caltrain together is already a popular choice for commuters: as we found last year, Bay Area residents rely on Uber and public transit options to complete the first and last miles of their daily commutes.  Nearly 80,000 Uber trips started or ended within 100 meters of a Caltrain station last July alone (an increase of over 150% since the previous summer).  And Caltrain’s San Francisco Station was the single most popular Uber destination in all of San Francisco in 2015.  With POOLtrain we want to make it even more affordable to connect with mass transit and move around the Bay.

Big Game Drop-Off and Pickup

Don’t forget, for the first time, football fans will have special access to a ridesharing option to get close to the action.  With Uber as the official partner of the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee, revelers will be able to push a button and get a ride—right at the championship stadium.  It’s that simple.  

Riders will be able to take an Uber to the game (or POOLtrain from Caltrain!) and be dropped off at the Uber lot within walking distance of Levi’s Stadium.  When the game is over, folks can head to our Rider Lounge where they can relax and request a ride directly from the lot.  

We are thrilled to do our part to make this the smoothest Big Game experience yet. This will be the first time that many Bay Area residents and fans from all over the world will experience Uber and uberPOOL, and discover first-hand how Uber can make cities — and this iconic game— more accessible for everyone.