Valley Rail (ACE)

Valley Rail is a project to expand Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) and Amtrak California San Joaquins commuter rail services, divided into several segments which include two service extensions from Stockton to Sacramento and Merced, station improvements, and grade separation of the Stockton Diamond.

Contents

• Overview
• History
• Proposed routes and operations
• Background
• Merced Extension
• Sacramento Extension
• References
• External links

The ACEforward project was initiated in 2013 to expand ridership by improving service reliability and frequency on the existing route between Stockton and San Jose, and by extending the route east from Stockton to Merced; during its development, financial and logistical challenges were identified which precluded operating more trains on the existing segment, and the Valley Rail project replaced ACEforward in 2017, initially focusing on the eastern extension to Merced. The first environmental impact reports for Valley Rail were released in 2018; funding was secured in 2023, and construction began in 2024.

Overview

The Sacramento Extension will use the Sacramento Subdivision between Stockton and Sacramento. ^{[1] : ES-1, ES-8} In the first phase of the Sacramento Extension, six new stations would be constructed along the line between Natomas and the current eastern ACE terminus in Stockton Downtown (Cabral) station; ^{[1] : ES-1, ES-6} a layover facility would be built near the new Natomas station in that north Sacramento neighborhood for the second phase. ^{[1] : ES-8} After the first phase, one ACE train would start from Natomas in the morning and continue to San Jose via Stockton, with a corresponding return trip in the afternoon; ^{[1] : ES-10} two round-trip San Joaquins trains would be added, both with Natomas as the northern terminus, operating to either Fresno or Bakersfield. ^{[1] : ES-9} The San Joaquins stop in Stockton would move from San Joaquin Street station to Downtown/Cabral. ^{[1] : ES-9} South of Stockton Downtown/Cabral, San Joaquins would continue to operate on the Stockton Subdivision. ^{[1] : ES-9}

In addition, the related North Valley Rail project proposes to extend service north from Natomas to Chico. Under the initial operating plan, two daily trains would depart Chico in the mornings, traveling south via Natomas and Stockton Downtown/Cabral; one would continue through and terminate at Union City, while the other would stay in Stockton for a timed transfer to San Joaquins trains. Two afternoon northbound trains would be provided for passengers returning to Chico. ^[2]

The Merced Extension is divided into two phases, covering Lathrop to Ceres and Ceres to Merced, which will extend service to Ceres and Merced via Lathrop and Modesto. This extension will use the Fresno Subdivision, joining the existing ACE route at a new North Lathrop station, just north of Lathrop/Manteca station. The existing route uses the Oakland Subdivision from Niles to Lathrop and the rail junction between the Fresno and Oakland subdivisions will be rebuilt. ^{[3] : 2–2, 2–7, 2–9} Several new stations will be constructed and the line will be double-tracked, extending the eastern ACE terminus to Merced, where a new layover facility would be added. ^{[3] : 2–10  [4] : 3–3} Under the initial operating plans, four trains would start at Merced (Ceres after the first phase) in the mornings, traveling to North Lathrop, with a timed transfer stop for passengers continuing westbound to San Jose. ^{[3] : 2–23  [4] : 3–18, 3–19} Three trains would continue from North Lathrop to Natomas, where they would be stored for the day; one train would operate a mid-day roundtrip from Natomas to Stockton and back. ^{[1] : 2–21, 2–22} One train would continue to San Jose. Three or four return trains would be provided from North Lathrop to Merced (Ceres) in the afternoons, timed to allow transfers for passengers eastbound from San Jose. ^{[3] : 2–23  [4] : 3–18, 3–19}

In addition to the extensions to Sacramento and Ceres/Merced, Valley Rail includes a grade separation for the Stockton Diamond, a major rail junction between the Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe, ^[5] and upgrades to San Joaquins stations, including the relocation of Madera station ^[6] and construction of Oakley station. ^[7]

History

ACEforward was a project initiated by ACE in 2013 to increase ridership, primarily by improving service frequency and reliability over the existing Stockton–San Jose route, including a proposed tunnel through Altamont Pass, but also by expanding service east from Stockton further into the Central Valley. Full implementation of ACEforward was estimated at US$9.7 billion, ^[8] a significant financial burden; in addition, logistical and coordination challenges to expanding service were identified. ACE discontinued ACEforward in favor of a new Valley Rail project, which scaled back the older project's scope by focusing initially on the eastern expansion to Merced. ^{[9] : 1–1}

The draft and final environmental impact reports (EIR) for the first segment of the Merced Extension (covering the route from Lathrop to Ceres) was released in 2018. ^{[10] [11]} The draft and final EIRs for the second segment (Ceres to Merced) were released in April and November 2021, respectively. ^{[12] [13]}

A draft EIR for the Sacramento Extension was released in 2020, with services expected to begin no later than 2023. ^[14] The North Elk Grove station was removed from Sacramento Extension plans when the final EIR was issued in September 2020; ^[1] a separate evaluation was performed for a relocated Elk Grove station via draft and final EIRs issued in December 2021 and March 2022, respectively. ^{[15] [16]}

The Valley Rail project received funding via California's Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program in 2023, by which time the project was expected to open in phases beginning in 2025. ^[17] Later that year, the estimated commencement of services to Ceres and Natomas were again pushed back to 2026, with service to Merced and infill stations opening by 2030. ^[18]

Construction of a concrete box culvert, kicking off the Ceres/Merced Extension, was bid in December 2023 and started in May 2024. ^[19] The new culvert is required to support upgrades to the Lathrop Wye, and construction is scheduled to take 22 months to complete. ^[20] A groundbreaking ceremony was held on June 20, 2024. ^[21]

Proposed routes and operations

Merced Extension

15km
10miles

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

  

Merced Extension stations

1

Merced

2

Atwater (alternative)

3

Livingston

4

Turlock

5

Ceres

6

Modesto

7

Ripon

8

Downtown Manteca

9

North Lathrop

From east to west, the stations on the Merced Extension are:

Merced Extension stations ^{[3] : 2-4 to 2-9  [12] : ES-11}

Station	City	Location	Notes / Refs.
Merced	Merced	on R St between W 15th and W 16th
Atwater or Livingston	Atwater	near Applegate Rd / N Winton Way and Atwater Blvd (alternative)
	Livingston	Main St and SR 99
Turlock	Turlock	near North Front St / Golden State Blvd and Fulkerth Rd / W Hawkeye Ave
Ceres	Ceres	on Railroad Ave between Kinser Rd and Central Ave
Modesto	Modesto	at the existing Modesto Transportation Center, between I, K, 8th, and 9th
Ripon	Ripon	near Main St and SR 99
Downtown Manteca	Manteca	at the existing Manteca Transit Center, near S Main St and Moffat Blvd
North Lathrop	Lathrop	on land obtained from Sharpe Army Depot, near W Lathrop Rd and 7th St

The Lathrop Wye connection between the Fresno, Tracy, and Oakland subdivisions will be rebuilt as part of the first phase of the Merced Extension. Part of the reconstruction will include new at-grade crossings of the Fresno Subdivision at McKinley Avenue and S Airport Way. ^{[11] : 5–1} In addition, approximately 51 mi (82 km) of the Fresno Subdivision from Manteca to Merced would be double-tracked, in some cases upgrading existing siding tracks to mainline service. ^{[12] : 2–13  [3] : 2–10}

When the first segment of the Merced Extension is complete, the initial plans are to operate four daily roundtrip trains between Ceres and North Lathrop, starting from Ceres in the mornings, with most continuing westbound passengers transferring to San Jose-bound trains (originating from Stockton) at North Lathrop. A temporary bus bridge would be provided between Ceres and Merced. ^{[3] : 2–20, 2–23, 2–25} Once the second segment is complete, the bus bridge between Ceres and Merced will be replaced by rail service. Four trains will originate from Merced instead of Ceres, of which three will run north to Natomas via North Lathrop station, where westbound passengers to San Jose would transfer. One train would run directly from Merced to San Jose. In the afternoons, three return trains would run from Natomas to Merced and one return train would run from San Jose to Merced. ^{[12] : 2–28}

The Valley Link project will extend rail service east from Dublin/Pleasanton station, the terminus of the Bay Area Rapid Transit Blue Line; Valley Link will eventually terminate at the North Lathrop station, serving as a transfer point between Valley Link and ACE. ^{[23] : 2–10} Dublin/Pleasanton is approximately 5 km (3.1 mi) north-northwest of the Pleasanton station currently served by ACE, and the Valley Link route generally would run parallel to and north of ACE between Pleasanton and Lathrop, using the median of I-580 west of Altamont Pass, the same Alameda County Transportation Corridor through the pass, and the Tracy Subdivision east of the pass. ^{[23] : 2–12, 2–13, 2–15}

Sacramento Extension

15km
10miles

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

  

Sacramento Extension stations

1

Natomas/Sacramento Airport

2

Old North Sacramento

3

Midtown Sacramento

4

City College

5

Elk Grove

6

Lodi

7

Lodi South (alternative)

From north to south, the stations on the Sacramento Extension are:

Sacramento Extension stations ^{[14] : ES-6 to ES-8}

Station	City	Location	Notes / Refs.
Natomas / Sacramento Airport	Sacramento	near the intersection of Blacktop Rd and West Elkhorn Blvd
Old North Sacramento		near Acoma St and El Monte Ave
Midtown Sacramento		near Q St between 19th and 20th St
City College		adjacent to the existing SacRT light rail City College station
Elk Grove	Elk Grove	originally near the existing SacRT Franklin station on Cosumnes River Blvd; relocated just north of Laguna Blvd	[24]
Lodi	Lodi	near SR 12 and Devries Rd
		near West Harney Ln and Devries Rd (Lodi South alternative)

The (north-south) Sacramento Subdivision crosses the (east-west) Martinez Subdivision at the Haggin Wye, ^[25] east of the existing Sacramento Valley Station (served by Capitol Corridor and some San Joaquins trains) and bracketed by the planned Old North Sacramento and Midtown Sacramento stations (which will be served by ACE and San Joaquins) to the north and south, respectively. The tracks would be realigned just south of the wye. ^{[14] : Fig.2-8}

When the Sacramento Extension is complete, San Joaquins and ACE both would add new trains. San Joaquins would add one roundtrip between Natomas and Fresno and another roundtrip between Natomas and Bakersfield. ^{[14] : 2–21} ACE would add one train originating from Natomas in the mornings, traveling south and west to San Jose via Stockton, with a corresponding return trip from San Jose to Natomas via Stockton in the evenings. ^{[14] : 2–21} In addition, with the completion of the first phase of the Merced Extension, trains originating from Ceres would travel north to Natomas via North Lathrop, returning in the evenings after storage and maintenance at Natomas. ACE also would operate one mid-day roundtrip from Natomas to Stockton and back. ^{[14] : 2-21 to 2-22}

Related Research Articles

The San Joaquins is a passenger train service operated by Amtrak in California's San Joaquin Valley. Seven daily round trips run between its southern terminus at Bakersfield and Stockton, with onward service to Sacramento and Oakland. For Fiscal year 2025, two additional trips to Sacramento will be added.

The Altamont Corridor Express is a commuter rail service in California, connecting Stockton and San Jose during peak hours only. ACE is named for the Altamont Pass, through which it runs. Service is managed by the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, and operations are contracted to Herzog Transit Services. The 86-mile (138 km) route includes ten stops, with travel time about 2 hours and 12 minutes end-to-end. In 2023, the line had a ridership of 576,300, or about 3,000 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024. ACE uses Bombardier BiLevel Coaches, MPI F40PH-3C locomotives, and Siemens Charger locomotives.

California High-Speed Rail (CAHSR) is a publicly funded high-speed rail system being developed in California by the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Phase 1, about 494 miles (795 km) long, is planned to run from San Francisco to Los Angeles and Anaheim via the Central Valley, and is partially funded and under construction. A proposed Phase 2 would extend the system north to Sacramento and south to San Diego, for a total of 776 miles (1,249 km). The project was authorized by a 2008 statewide ballot to connect the state's major urban areas and reduce intercity travel times. Phase 1 targets a nonstop travel time of 2 hours and 40 minutes from San Francisco to Los Angeles, compared to about nine hours on the existing Amtrak San Joaquins.

City College station is an at-grade light rail station on the Blue Line of the SacRT light rail system operated by the Sacramento Regional Transit District. The station is located in an exclusive right of way alongside the Union Pacific Railroad's Sacramento Subdivision and a small rail yard, on the campus of Sacramento City College, after which the station is named, in the city of Sacramento, California.

Globe station is an at-grade light rail station on the Blue Line of the SacRT light rail system operated by the Sacramento Regional Transit District. The station is located in the median of Del Paso Boulevard at its intersection with Globe Avenue, after which the station is named, in the city of Sacramento, California.

Robert J. Cabral Station, is a railway station in Stockton, California. In 2003, the station building was named in honor of the late Robert J. Cabral, a San Joaquin County supervisor instrumental in the creation of the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE), originally Altamont Commuter Express.

The Modesto Transportation Center is a bus terminal and former train station located in downtown Modesto, California.

Merced station is a proposed California High-Speed Rail station in Merced, California, located in Downtown Merced. The originally proposed site was to have been located at ground level on Martin Luther King Jr. Way near the interchange with Route 99/59, placing it about 7 blocks south from the existing Merced Amtrak station. The station was initially intended to be the northern terminus of the system's Initial Construction Segment. An alternative location for a fully elevated station proposed by the City of Merced and other stakeholders, 8 blocks to the west-northwest along 15th Street, between O Street and R Street was approved after a supplemental environmental review. The high-speed rail line will run on the south side of the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way.

The California High-Speed Rail system will be built in two major phases. Phase I, about 520 miles (840 km) long using high-speed rail through the Central Valley, will connect San Francisco to Los Angeles. In Phase 2, the route will be extended in the Central Valley north to Sacramento, and from east through the Inland Empire and then south to San Diego. The total system length will be about 800 miles (1,300 km) long. Phase 2 currently has no timeline for completion.

Valley Link is a proposed 26-mile-long (42 km) commuter rail service in Northern California, which seeks to connect the rapid transit Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system in the San Francisco Bay Area with the northern San Joaquin Valley via the Tri-Valley region. Since 1997, BART's Blue Line's eastern terminus is at Dublin/Pleasanton station on the border of Dublin and Pleasanton. Valley Link seeks to extend rail service east from here into the northern San Joaquin Valley over Altamont Pass, which would help alleviate traffic congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions on Interstate 580 (I-580). The project resulted from various failed proposals to extend the Blue Line east to Livermore.

Ceres station is a future Altamont Corridor Express rail station in the city of the same name. It was expected to open to revenue service in 2024 as the terminus of the first phase of ACE's Merced Extension project to Merced, but the opening was later pushed back to 2026. The station would be located between Railroad Avenue and CA 99 near the southbound Whitmore Avenue exit underpass; the platform would only accessible approaching from the east side of the tracks. A bus will connect to Merced at first, with rail service to follow in the future. Parking will be available on nearby surface streets.

Midtown Sacramento is a planned train station in the neighborhood of the same name that will be a stop on Altamont Corridor Express and Amtrak California's San Joaquin services. To be constructed as part of the Valley Rail project, it was expected to open no later than 2023. By 2023, the opening date had slipped to 2026. The platform will run between P Street and the wye at S Street and be bisected by Q Street. SacRT light rail stations are located either three blocks to the east or west.

Ripon is a future Altamont Corridor Express station in the city of the same name. The platform will be located between the railway right of way and U.S. Highway 99, south of the Main Street interchange. Access to the platform will be via a pedestrian overcrossing southwest over the tracks to South Industrial Avenue. It was expected to open to revenue service in 2024 as a station along the first phase of ACE's Merced Extension project to Merced, but was later delayed to 2027.

North Lathrop station is a planned Altamont Corridor Express station in Lathrop, California – the second to be constructed in the city. It was expected to open to revenue service in 2023 as part of the first phase of ACE's Merced Extension project to Merced, but was later delayed to 2027.

The Sacramento Subdivision is a rail line owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad in the U.S. state of California. The line begins in Marysville as a continuation of the Canyon Subdivision at a junction with the Valley Subdivision, and travels south through the Central Valley to a junction with the Fresno Subdivision in Stockton. South of Downtown Sacramento, the SacRT light rail Blue Line runs adjacent to the right of way until a flyover near Consumnes River Boulevard. The route between Sacramento and Stockton hosts about 12 to 20 freight trains daily as of 2018. Additionally, the Amtrak Coast Starlight runs over the tracks between Marysville and Sacramento.

Natomas/Sacramento Airport is a planned train station that will be a stop on Altamont Corridor Express and Amtrak California's San Joaquin services. The station site is in the Natomas area, north of Sacramento, east of Blacktop Road and immediately south of West Elkhorn Boulevard. Planned as the northern terminus of the Sacramento Extension of the Valley Rail project, it was expected to open no later than 2023. By 2023, the opening date had been pushed back to 2026. A shuttle bus will provide connectivity for those traveling between the station and Sacramento International Airport, 8 miles (13 km) to the east.

Turlock station is a future Altamont Corridor Express station in the city of the same name. It is expected to open to revenue service in 2029 as part of the second phase of ACE's Merced Extension project to Merced. The station would be located at the intersection of Golden State Boulevard and Front Street approximately a mile from downtown. The platform is planned to be connected to the Turlock Transit Roger K. Fall Transit Center via an elevated pedestrian bridge. The station would be across a street or two from the city's Greyhound Lines bus stop.

Elk Grove station is a planned train station in Elk Grove, California to be located north of Laguna Boulevard at 3134 Dwight Road. it is part of the Valley Rail Sacramento Extension Project between Stockton and Sacramento. It will be served by Amtrak California San Joaquins and Altamont Corridor Express trains.

The Fresno Subdivision is a railroad in California owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad. Mostly built by the Southern Pacific Railroad in the 1870s, the line traverses the San Joaquin Valley on a northwest to southeast alignment.

References

External links

• "Valley Rail". San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission.