For Immediate Release:
CONTACT:
David Lipari
david@acerail.com
(209) 851-1626
SJRRC and SJJPA’s Valley Rail Program Receives Additional TIRCP Funding
Stockton CA – The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC) and the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA) are pleased to announce the receipt of an additional $142 million for the Valley Rail Program and ACE corridor improvements. These additional funds will ensure the completion of 3 project areas, encompassing 9 individual components, including: (1) Natomas, Elk Grove, North Lathrop, Manteca, Modesto, Ceres, and Madera Valley Rail stations, (2) the Stockton Diamond Grade Separation, and (3) ACE platform extensions at Lathrop/Manteca, Tracy, Vasco Rd, Livermore, and Pleasanton stations.
This sixth cycle of the Transit and Intercity Passenger Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) continues the historic funding of passenger rail by the State of California. The projects awarded funding in this cycle received grants in previous TIRCP cycles. The additional state resources will help fill funding gaps created by supply chain and inflationary pressures to complete construction while protecting and leveraging significant federal and local investments.
“We would like the thank the administration for its continued support of passenger rail,” states Stacey Mortensen, Executive Director of SJRRC and SJJPA, “The additional funding will help fill funding gaps created by the nationwide supply chain and cost escalation environment. It is our mission to deliver on these projects to bring increased sustainable transportation to the San Joaquin Valley and our neighboring regions.”
Valley Rail is an ambitious program to improve passenger rail connectivity and accessibility between the Central Valley, Bay Area, and Sacramento regions. This program creates additional round-trips between Fresno, Merced, and Sacramento on Amtrak San Joaquin line and builds upon SB 132 funding ($400 million) and previous TIRCP Cycle 3 funding ($500.5 million) for the expansion of new Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) train service to Sacramento and Ceres. These services will connect Merced, Ceres, Modesto, Stockton, Sacramento, and Fresno, allowing ridership growth. Valley Rail will improve connectivity to disadvantaged communities throughout Northern California, reduce GHG emissions and vehicle miles traveled (VMT), promote sustainability, and enable essential future passenger rail connectivity to the High-Speed Rail (HSR) Early Operating Segment (EOS) in Merced. In addition, the funding to complete the ACE platform extensions will help leverage the current corridor by adding the ability for ACE to run longer trainsets.
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ABOUT SJRRC:
Governed by a Board of Directors consisting of six full-voting members from San Joaquin County and two special-voting members from Alameda County, SJRRC owns, operates, and is the policy-making body for the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) service, which has been transporting passengers between the Central Valley and Bay Area since 1998. For more information about SJRRC and ACE, visit acerail.com or connect through Facebook (@AltamontCorridorExpress) and Twitter (@ACE_train).
ABOUT SJJPA
Since July 2015, SJJPA has been responsible for the management and administration of Amtrak San Joaquins. SJJPA is governed by Board Members representing each of the ten (10) Member Agencies along the 365-mile San Joaquins Corridor. For more information on SJJPA see www.sjjpa.com.
Amtrak San Joaquins is Amtrak’s 6th busiest route with 18 train stations throughout the Central Valley and Bay Area, providing a safe, comfortable and reliable way to travel throughout California. Amtrak San Joaquins is currently running six daily round-trips. In addition to the train service, Amtrak San Joaquins Thruway buses provide connecting service to 135 destinations in California and Nevada including Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Napa Valley, Las Vegas and Reno.