Resources
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
California Department of Transportation
Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority
Coming soon!
We are involved in explaining the advantages of, and potential issues surrounding, current proposals:
- Expanding regional rail service in Northern California with added service of the Capitol Corridor, linking Salinas and Reno, NV.
- Extension of Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) with the Valley Link and Valley Rail initiatives.
- Creating an integrated Northern California network including rail service in the Dumbarton Rail Corridor and coordinating service among the Capitol Corridor, ACE, BART, Caltrain Amtrak and California High Speed Rail at common hub stations.
- Joining the Northern and Southern California Regional Systems with a high-speed rail line starting incrementally with the Interim Operating Segment (Merced – Bakersfield), then bridging the gap between San Jose and Chowchilla for service to the Bay Area.
- Given the passenger rail focus of the Coast Line, including the fact segments are currently owned by public agencies, RailPAC recommends that given this focus and the limit potential for freight traffic, the State of California should purchase the Coast Line. This would facilitate expanding Caltrain to Salinas as well as coordinating and utilizing the capital investments made for extended Caltrain service to facilitate service from San Luis Obispo to Oakland.
- Extending the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) line to Cloverdale.
- Providing light rail, bus transit and other mobility links to provide true door-to-door service, ensuring systems are fully accessible for the physically challenged and having an integrated information, contactless payment and schedule tracking systems.
Northern California Rail Advocacy Groups
- Bay Rail Alliance
San Francisco Bay Area - Green Caltrain
- Friends Of SMART
Marin and Sonoma Counties
Northern California Transit Advocacy Groups
- Rescue Muni
San Francisco Transit Rider’s Association - Seamless Bay Area
Northern California Trains and Rail Operators
- Amtrak Capitol Corridor
(Roseville – San Jose) - Amtrak San Joaquins
(Oakland / Sacramento – Bakersfield) - California High-Speed Rail Authority
- California Operation Lifesaver
- Caltrain
(San Francisco – Gilroy) - Altamont Commuter Express (ACE)
(Stockton – San Jose)
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
California Department of Transportation
LOSSAN Rail Corridor Agency
We are involved in explaining the advantages of, and potential issues surrounding, current proposals:
Full integration of regional rail services under a single southern California rail authority. One timetable, one fare structure with local transit connections.- Preserving and unlocking the potential of the LOSSAN Corridor between San Diego – Los Angeles – San Luis Obispo by completing current state of good repair and double track projects as well as moving forward with line relocation projects and tunnels to avoid threats from sea level rise, beach erosion and wave action.
Full integration of regional rail services under a single southern California rail authority. One timetable, one fare structure with local transit connections.- Funding for Phase II of LinkUS – the addition of run-through tracks at Los Angeles Union Station, the hub of the Southern California system.
- Expanding regional rail service in Southern California by making Metrolink and Coaster a coordinated seven-days-a-week, all-day operation. This accommodates more frequencies, linking routes to enable one-seat service on routes through Los Angeles and reduce trip times.
- Extending Southern California regional express service to Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley – all laying the foundation for eventual service to Calexico and Arizona such as Phoenix and Tucson.
- Daily operation of the Sunset Limited between Los Angeles and New Orleans.
- Incremental electrification of Metrolink utilizing a combination of segments of catenary and battery/electric trainsets.
- Extension of Perris Valley Line to San Jacinto and Temecula
Extending Southern California regional express service to Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley – all laying the foundation for eventual service to Calexico and Arizona such as Phoenix and Tucson.Southern California Rail Advocacy Groups
- Coast Starlight Communities Network
A coalition of various interests with the goal of protecting and improving rail service between Washington, Oregon and California - Mobility 21
Southern California Transportation Coalition - Cal Electric Rail
Southern California Transit Advocacy Groups
Southern California Trains and Rail Operators
- Amtrak Pacific Surfliner
- Amtrak San Joaquins
- California High-Speed Rail Authority
- California Operation Lifesaver
- Metrolink (Los Angeles area)
- North County Transit District (San Diego area)
NEVADA
Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT)
Previous Versions
RailPAC will support the efforts for rail initiatives as outlined in the Nevada State Rail Plan:
- Support and grow the Nevada Rail Coalition
- Extension of selected Amtrak Capitol Corridor frequencies to Reno
- Address platform access issues at Elko Station
- Construction of Brightline from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga and Palmdale in California
- Reinstate the Amtrak Desert Wind service from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, with connections to Brightline high-speed rail service between Las Vegas and Southern California and the California Zephyr at Salt Lake City to Chicago.
- Capital projects to address Elko freight yard congestion
- Support for transit initiatives in the Reno and Las Vegas metropolitan areas
Coming Soon
ARIZONA
Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT)
Previous Versions:
Tucson to Phoenix Passenger Rail Study
Record of Decision, December 2016
Wellton Branch Habilitation Study
Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG)
RailPAC will continue to coordinate with All Aboard Arizona on rail initiatives in Arizona including the Sun Corridor passenger rail between Phoenix and Tucson, the daily Sunset Limited and additional regional trains between Nogales, Tucson, Phoenix and Los Angeles.
SOUTHWEST
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
Southwest Regional Working Group
Southwest Multi-State Rail Planning Study
Summary Report, September 2014
Review our detailed pages on local issues:
NMRPA
New Mexico Rail Passenger Alliance
NORTHWEST
Coming soon!
Coming soon!
- AORTA
(Association of Oregon Rail and Transit Advocates) - All Aboard Washington
- Greater Northwest Passenger Rail Working Group
NATIONAL
RailPAC focuses on outlining the benefits, unique markets served and market potential of Amtrak’s long-distance routes.
RailPAC advocates continue to support the following goals for improving the Amtrak system of long-distance trains entering and leaving California.
- Full Integration: A compete re-fleeting of Amtrak, including new bi-level equipment and overhaul of the Viewliner I sleeping cars for product uniformity and reliability. While re-fleeting is underway, the remaining equipment is undergoing state of good repair initiatives and must continue.
- RailPAC will monitor the efforts of the State Supported Route Committee in its efforts to improved Amtrak accounting cost allocations. For route performance benchmarking, RailPAC supports the use of Long-Term Avoidable Costs as the metric for comparison rather Fully Allocated Costs.
- Vigorous and timely action by the Surface Transportation Board to enforce recent court decisions reinforcing Amtrak’s on-time performance rights.
- Daily service for the Sunset Limited between Los Angeles and New Orleans, coordinate with Southern Rail Commission on extending long-distance rail service to serve the Gulf Coast including extending the Daily Sunset Limited to Florida.
- Reinstate the Amtrak Desert Wind service from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, with connections to Brightline high-speed rail service between Las Vegas and Southern California and the California Zephyr at Salt Lake City to Chicago.
Other Rail Advocacy Organizations
- ColoRail
(Colorado Rail Passenger Association) - All Aboard Minnesota
- Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority
- Utah Rail Passengers Association
- United Rail Passenger Alliance
- InterRail
(Utah, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming) - Transit in UtahProRail Nebraska
- TXARP
(Texas Association of Rail Passengers) - Texas Rail Advocates
- DVARP
(Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers) - Rail Passengers Association
(formerly National Association of Railroad Passengers) - Rail Users’ Network
- High Speed Rail Alliance
- US High Speed Rail Association
- Transport Action Canada
- Coast Starlight Communities Network
A coalition of various interests with the goal of protecting and improving rail service between Washington, Oregon and California