BILL ANALYSIS
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: SB 526
SENATOR ALAN LOWENTHAL, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: Ashburn
VERSION: 4/2/09
Analysis by: Art Bauer FISCAL: Yes
Hearing date: April 28, 2009
SUBJECT:
San Joaquin rail corridor
DESCRIPTION:
This bill requires the Department of Transportation (Caltrans)
to ensure the operation of at least one Amtrak train on the San
Joaquin route that terminates in San Francisco.
ANALYSIS:
Existing law authorizes Caltrans to enter into contracts with
Amtrak to provide intercity passenger service. Among the
contracts is the San Joaquin service with four trains operating
from Bakersfield to Oakland via Stockton and Martinez and two
trains operating to Sacramento from Bakersfield.
This bill authorizes Caltrans to enter into negotiations with
the freight railroads, Union Pacific (UP) and the Burlington
Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), and the commuter railroads, ACE and
Caltrain, to extend at least one San Joaquin train via Altamont
Pass to San Francisco and to report to the Legislature by March
1, 2010 on the status of negotiations.
COMMENTS:
1.Purpose . The purpose of this legislation is to provide a
direct passenger rail link to San Francisco by re-routing one
of the San Joaquin trains via Altamont Pass and the South Bay
into San Francisco. This addresses a long unmet need for a
SB 526 (ASHBURN) Page 2
more direct passenger rail connection from the San Joaquin
Valley to San Francisco.
2.Background . Caltrans has been contracting with Amtrak for the
San Joaquin service since 1979. Initially, only one train was
operated between Bakersfield and Oakland. The service is
provided over track owned by both BNSF and UP. In 2006-07, the
service carried 789,641 passengers. By comparison, the other
two state provided services, the Capitols between Sacramento
and San Jose and the Surfliner between San Diego and Los
Angeles, carried in the same year 1,400,507 and 2,685,194
passengers, respectively. There are two commuter services
operating in the corridor, the ACE service operating between
Stockton and San Jose over UP tracks and the Caltrain service
between San Francisco and San Jose over tracks it owns. The
Capitols, ACE, and UP operate over the same tracks between
Newark and San Jose.
Some transportation planners believe that even with possible
longer travel time than the current service, the opportunity
for San Joaquin Valley residents to gain direct access to
downtown San Francisco is preferable to the current indirect
route, which requires travel to Martinez and Richmond before
arriving at Emeryville where there is a bus connection to San
Francisco. Moreover, Caltrain has included in its long-range
plan the reconstruction of an out-of-commission railroad
bridge connecting the West and East Bay. Should high-speed
rail ultimately operate from the San Joaquin Valley via the
Altamont Pass, either the bridge would be reconstructed to
high-speed rail standards or a new bridge would be built.
3.Adding new service will be difficult . Adding the new service
requested by this bill will be difficult, as Caltrans will
have to negotiate with UP to use its facilities from Stockton
to Santa Clara, with ACE over the same tracks, and with
Caltrain from Santa Clara to San Francisco. The requirement
that Caltrans report back to the Legislature by March 1, 2010
prior to hearings on its rail program budget will allow the
Legislature to consider the merits of pursuing the service.
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday,
April 22, 2009)
SUPPORT: None received.
SB 526 (ASHBURN) Page 3
OPPOSED: Union Pacific Railroad