New Commuter Service

[passengerfan]

Valley Papers report new commuter service proposed for San Joaquin Valley. Starting with two trains daily each way a new commuter service is proposed between Modesto and Sacramento with connections to ACE trains to San Jose at Lathrop. The trains will stop at Stockton, Lodi and one other stop before arriving in Sacramento. Both the BNSF and UP have said no but the State has offerd to build a third track so changed railroads minds quickly. California says it is cheaper to put in a third rail line then additional highway lanes to I-5 or 99. Service can begin as early as spring 2006 and equipment will be similar to ACE.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

After reading about this proposal on the News Wire, the first question that came to mind is: Where will the money come from?

[Anonymous]

It's an interesting proposal, but the timelines, as usual with commuter rail proposals, are overly ambitious. The question will be how much bonding authority that the state can put forward, or if they can redirect funds originally intended for parallel highway projects, if that is legal in California.

[passengerfan]

California unlike most other states already has funding in place for Amtrak and the commuter services. Taxpayers voted some years ago to fund rail from the highway fund when the costs of highways escalated to the point it was realized no matter how much money was generated the cost fopr new highways would be greater. This rail fund has purchased the Surfliner equipment the California cars and the diesels that power them and the Surfliners Capitoliners and San Joaquins have all expanded under California's leadership and foresight. A third rail will not be necessary for the entire distance as one already exists the former WP mainline. What will be necessary is additional sidings and station facilities at Elk Grove and Modesto where none exists presently. The latest study released on widening I-5 or 99 expects the cost two add two lanes in each direction to either highway at $3.9 billion per mile with the cost of land being accounted for another extimate published earlier put the cost at $5.7 billion per mile. The addional track and facilites to add the trackage cars and locomotives for the new Commuter service are expected to be $7.4 Billion total. The Highway mileage they would be talking about expanding is 58 miles total. to either 99 or I-5.

[Anonymous]

While I agree that a third main may not be *necessary*, I think that if UP, the owner of the track, says it is required, then it's required. After all, they can always just say "no".