The San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA) and San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC) have been awarded $71 million from the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) Cycle 7 Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) for the Bridging Rail Initiatives, Technology, and Education (BRITE) Project.
The BRITE Project includes a series of infrastructure additions and improvements “necessary for the Valley Rail program,” the agencies said. “In particular, this TIRCP award will help close funding gaps for the Stockton Diamond Grade Separation project, which will separate north-south Union Pacific main line tracks from two east-west BNSF main line tracks. This improvement will unlock the largest freight bottleneck in California and allow for increased frequency of passenger rail service, which will come through more daily roundtrip trains on ACE (Altamont Corridor Express) Rail and Amtrak San Joaquins as part of the Valley Rail program.”
Valley Rail is a joint program that includes improvements and expansions of both ACE and Amtrak San Joaquins focused on improvements between Sacramento and the San Joaquin Valley. It implements two new daily San Joaquins round-trips to better-connect San Joaquin Valley travelers with the Sacramento Area, and extends ACE service between Sacramento and Merced. In addition, Valley Rail will convert the entire fleet, including Amtrak’s Thruway bus network, to renewable diesel fuel, providing greenhouse gas (GHG) benefits across the entire existing 449 track-miles and proposed expanded (119 track-miles) San Joaquins and ACE services.
The BRITE Project package also includes the South Stockton Yard Crossover, with multiple switches, crossovers, signaling equipment and systems, special trackwork, and other needed improvements to support the Stockton Diamond track construction. As well, it includes construction of a new station in Madera County for California’s Interim High-Speed Rail (HSR) Service between Merced and Bakersfield. The new Madera station will provide direct access to HSR service and better-connect HSR with the greater Central Valley region, and the rest of California.
Additionally, the grant will support the Rail Academy of Central California (TRACC). “The rail industry is experiencing a shortage in skilled labor to maintain and operate our nation’s rail services and infrastructure,” the agencies said. “To help close the gap, the Rail Commission is working with Sacramento City College and other partners on its TRACC program, which is training rail workers of the future. Funding from this award will go to the program supplies and equipment needed for the instructors and students as well as instructor salaries.”
The $71 million award supplements the approximately $420 million that has already been allocated from other funding sources to help support BRITE Project components. The Valley Rail program is dependent on a combination of state and federal funding sources to implement a comprehensive set of track, station and equipment projects that “will transform how Californians access and use rail travel as part of the transportation landscape. Overall, the grant meets CalSTA’s TIRCP goals by reducing GHG emissions, improving safety, reducing vehicle-miles traveled, expanding and integrating transit service to increase Valley Rail intercity and commuter passenger rail ridership and improving the passenger experience. It supports workforce development through the TRACC program, and Valley Rail will benefit disadvantaged communities in the region by providing access to multi-modal, sustainable transportation options.”
“We are very appreciative of our partnership with CalSTA and Caltrans, working together to improve service and advance rail connectivity throughout the state,” said SJJPA Executive Director Stacey Mortensen. “The TIRCP award demonstrates the state’s strong support for our Valley Rail program, and a commitment to providing accessible, convenient, and sustainable transportation for communities along our service corridors.”
