California State Rail Plan 2005-06 to 2015-16

Chapter IX – Commuter Rail Services
the MTC’s Regional Transportation Plan, and a project study report on the rail
corridor was completed in February 2004.
The Dumbarton Commuter Rail service will initiate new cross-bay commuter rail
service between the Peninsula and the East Bay. The project will involve
rehabilitating and reconstructing rail facilities on the existing railroad alignment
and ROW. The new service is planned to start in 2010, providing three roundtrips
between Union City and San Francisco and three round-trips between Union
City and San Jose. Other service variations include trains originating in
Livermore and Union City, with higher service levels projected for the future.
The new rail corridor will link Caltrain, ACE, the Capitol Corridor, and BART.
It will also connect with East Bay bus systems at the multimodal transit center in
Union City.
Daily ridership is estimated at 4,800 in 2,010 and 6,900 by 2025. Capital costs are
estimated at $300 million, including new rolling stock, with annual operating and
maintenance costs of $8 million.
Salinas Extension
The Caltrain Extension to Monterey County project, which is sponsored by the
Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC), proposes to extend the
existing San Francisco to Gilroy service to Salinas with stops in Pajaro and
Castroville. TAMC has conducted a number of studies on train service options
between San Francisco and Salinas/Monterey. The 2000 Extension of Caltrain
Commuter Service to Monterey County Business Plan found that transportation
alternatives are needed in Monterey County to improve commuter and healthcare
access to the San Francisco Bay Area and to relieve congestion on the county’s
interregional highway connections. Currently, residents of Monterey County who
work in Santa Clara County must use private vehicles to travel between home and
work. The Commuter Rail Extension to Monterey County Project Study Report is
near completion, and a Draft Environmental Impact Report/ Environmental
Assessment (DEIR/EA) is due out in spring 2006.
The proposed route would use the current Caltrain-owned ROW between
San Francisco and San Jose. The route between San Jose and Salinas is owned by
UP and used for passenger service by Caltrain to Gilroy and by the Amtrak
Coast Starlight to Salinas and beyond to Los Angeles. The initial service is
proposed to start in 2009 with two round-trips per weekday, expanding to four
within ten years, or as demand warrants.
Annual ridership is estimated at about 525,000. Capital costs are estimated at
$75 million, with annual operating and maintenance costs starting at $1.5 million
and declining to $1.0 million after three years.
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