Caltrain Electric Train Posters

Target Audience: People who are excited to see the future of Caltrain (which turned out to be everyone). Transit advocates, railfans and people sick of commuting on Highway 101.

Strategy Objective:Creative partners were sought who would be excited by the task of celebrating our new trains. After receiving bids from different artists we decided to collaborate with Eric Rewitzer of 3 Fish Studios which had previously been located in San Francisco. As it turns out we ended up collaborating on a series of three images, each one symbolic of the three counties Caltrain serves. Eric brought in Jolene Stark of Different Beast studio to help with typeface layout and design.

Situation Challenge: As we approach electrified train service we wanted to come up with a signature image that excited the public to come ride our new trains. Inspired by train travel posters of the past we sought to capture the imagination of passengers with a poster that showed the promise of the future.

Results Impact: The images were the centerpiece of our public tour events and used on a variety of material from the invitations, to stickers, tote bags, and of course, posters. Over 4000 people attended each event, with over a dozen earned media pieces stemming from the event.

Why Submit: These posters have captured the imagination of the public and served as catalysts for increased excitement about our electric trains. Not only have they been well received by the public, but the reproductions of the images are proudly displayed by staff all around the office as we all work to complete the electrification project in 2024. We hope these posters stimulate a new renaissance in train travel images and new electric train projects everywhere.