Thursday, April 26, 2007
Union Pacific Railroad’s two representatives at the April 11 Santa Barbara Rail subcommittee meeting gave the impression that double-tracking between Santa Barbara and Oxnard is necessary for commuter trains to begin operation. However, during the course of the meeting they pointed out that due to environmental concerns, Coastal Commission scrutiny, and physical constraints, double-tracking the corridor is not possible. There is need for sidings and other enhancements that are dependent on the total number of trains running along the route, and long sidings with double crossovers to accommodate either freight or passenger trains can do a lot to increase capacity.
It’s safe to say that UPR’s corridor on the Central Coast is in need of improvement for both passenger and freight service. There are still manual turnouts that require someone to get off in order to switch a train to the siding. This is the 21st century, and the excuses that UPR makes about taking over a dilapidated rail corridor from Southern Pacific in 1996 are becoming less and less valid. It has long been known that UPR does not want to add more passenger trains without further improvements.
It’s also known that passenger rail is the most cost-effective and environmentally sensitive solution for expanding capacity in the 101 corridor. Commuter rail will be needed during the many years of highway construction planned for the 101 corridor south of Santa Barbara, and the sooner we get started on the improvements, the better.
The LOSSAN (Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency) North Corridor Strategic Plan describes needed improvements for the rail corridor in great detail. Its 69-page document — available online — tells the whole story and describes the expected growth in rail traffic. Below is an excerpt from the plan, explaining how making improvements will accommodate current and future needs:
“The purpose of improvements to the LOSSAN North rail corridor is to help meet the current and projected demand for travel within and between metropolitan areas of Southern California and the Central Coast by: Improving rail capacity to meet demand for all types of rail services, including intercity, commuter, and freight/goods movement.”
There are a number of steps that need to be taken before corridor improvements and funding of a commuter rail service between Oxnard and Goleta can begin.
First, there needs to be state-level dialogue with UPR to allow for more passenger trains in return for Prop 1B funds for UPR improvements to the corridor. Coastal Rail Now and the Rail Passenger Association of California are working hard to get this message to SBCAG, the Coast Rail Coordinating Council (CRCC), LOSSAN, and CalTrans’s Rail Division. We request the attention and assistance of Assembly Transportation Committee Chair Pedro Nava. As our state assemblymember, he can facilitate communication between UPR, the community, and the state. On the county level, it’s imperative that the commuter rail project become part of the Measure D 2008 expenditure plan. First District Supervisor Salud Carbajal has been a supporter of this, and we look for that support through the Measure D process.
Secondly, Ventura County residents will benefit from a commuter rail to Goleta. And since track and platform work at Oxnard are required for both services, Metrolink commuters will also benefit from these improvements. Both Ventura and Santa Barbara counties’ elected representatives need to use their collective power on the LOSSAN board to ensure that the recommendations made by the strategic plan and SBCAG’s “101 in Motion” are put into action.
Finally, if the San Diego-San Luis Obispo rail corridor is second only in passenger miles to the great Northeast corridor (D.C.-Boston), why does the country’s second busiest rail corridor still resemble a Third World railroad?