RailPAC POSITION ON THE CALIFORNIA HIGH SPEED RAIL PROPOSAL

RailPAC POSITION ON THE
CALIFORNIA HIGH SPEED RAIL PROPOSAL

NOTE: Subsequent to Dr. Herzog's writing this 1999 article RailPAC has endorsed the High Speed Rail Authority's plan to route its trains south of San Jose and across or under Pacheco Pass to the San Joaquin Valley, tying into the route south from Sacramento at approximately Merced. In reading this article please disregard references to Pleasanton, as they are no longer applicable.

SAN FRANCISCO AND SAN JOSE TO PLEASANTON

The approach to San Francisco from the south is currently via the double tracked Peninsula Commute Route. In addition BART is constructing a broad gauge line from San Francisco Airport to the City. It would be difficult to construct an additional double track access to San Francisco from the south. Therefore, RailPAC endorses the concept of the Peninsula Commute and the HSR working on implementing a joint grade separated right of way on the Peninsula. Similarly, the Capitol Corridor approaches the San Jose Station from the north. RailPAC therefore urges that the approach to San Jose be via a jointly maintained and heavily grade separated Capitol Corridor and HSR approach. As a bonus, some HSR trains from the south could operate via the Capitol Corridor into the East Bay Market. Just as the HSR project was used to justify electrification of the San Diego Los Angeles Santa Barbara Corridor, RailPAC would advocate the joint electrification of the Capitol Corridor and the Peninsula Corridor from San Francisco to Salinas as feeders and access routes for the HSR system. The Pleasanton to San Jose section should be able to accommodate conventional train speed limits of 90 MPH and HSR trains speeds of up to 120 MPH. The much more congested line on the Peninsula will probably be limited to a maximum of 90 MPH. However, as a fraction of the entire mileage of the state wide system, these routes are relatively short and therefore the actual train speeds over these segments will not strongly impact on the end to end running times between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Funding for the San Francisco and San Jose to Pleasanton section should be shared jointly with the HSR project, Peninsula Commute and the Capitol Corridor.

PLEASANTON AND SACRAMENTO TO PALMDALE

This is the heart of the Project as it constitutes the main high speed line connecting Southern California with the North. The higest permitted operating speeds will occur in this section of the project. This section of the HSR project would be designed for the maximum design speeds of 200 MPH. It would be completely segregated from the freight rail system and would only allow access to high speed trains and at few electrified passenger trains capable of running at least 125 MPH. All other trains would be excluded. Funding would be by the RAIL AUTHORITY.

LOS ANGELES ACCESS AND LAX

In the Los Angeles Urban Area the HSR system would operate over three routes. The first of these routes is from Palmdale to Los Angeles Union Station via Santa Clarita and Burbank, this is currently a METROLINK ROUTE from Palmdale to Burbank Junction and from Burbank Junction to Los Angeles is served by two METROLINK ROUTES, San Diego to Santa Barbara Corridor Trains and one long distance train to Seattle This track section, now fully double tracked is the highest density passenger route outside the Northeast Corridor.. A second route is from Los Angeles to Ontario Airport parallels two METROLINK ROUTES and the third is a route form Los Angeles Union Station to LAX.

If HSR is to be successfully brought into the Los Angeles Urban landscape it needs to produce a fully grade separated route, while at the same time minimizing the impact on the urban environment. Unlike the San Diego Corridor where the San Diego Bullet Train proposal foundered on trying to impose an all new railroad into a first class residential environment, the bulk of the routes proposed for the HSR in the Los Angeles environment are in industrial areas where the impact can be minimized. In addition, the line from Union Station north through the San Fernando Valley can easily be double tracked from Burbank Junction to Silmar. From Silmar to Santa Clarita a second tunnel is needed for both high density METROLINK service in the future and for the HSR trains. Only by using standard gauge track technology can the HSR and METROLINK service share the same expensive infrastructure. From a purely economic standpoint it is not acceptable to have METROLINK through its local sales tax sources build a double track railroad from Los Angeles to Santa Clarita and then to have a state agency build a second non compatible double track route between the same two points. RailPAC must encourage METROLINK and the HSR to pool their financial and engineering talent to produce a double track electrified route from Palmdale to Burbank Junction and a minimum of a triple, and preferably a four track main from Burbank Junction to Union Station. All secondary crossings should be closed and all remaining major crossings should be grade separated.

As part of this northern approach to Union Station, the HSR Project should involve the electrification and full double tracking of the Coast Route from Burbank Junction to Santa Barbara, including the construction of a second Chatsworth tunnel. This route would be used by UP freight trains, METROLINK, Southwest Corridor Trains and long distance Coast Route trains including TALGO trains to San Francisco and SUPERLINER TRAINS TO SEATTLE. Speed limits for conventional trains would be 90 MPH on the Coast Line and somewhat faster for TALOG trains.

By sharing resources on the northern approaches to Union Station, METROLINK, The Southwest Corridor and the HSR Project, can leverage taxpayer contributions to produce the most optimum and lowest cost solution. Savings from such cooperation can be used for the double tracking and electrification of the coast route from Santa Barbara to Union Station and the Electrification of the current San Diego Route between Union Station and Oceanside. This work could even be done before the inland route to San Diego via Ontario Airport and Escondido is completed so that high speed trains from the north could operate as far south as San Diego as soon as the line from northern California reaches Union Station in Los Angeles. Once the inland line becomes fully operational, the older coast route would continue to function as a high density commuter line acting as a feeder to HSR at Union Station.

The amount of freight traffic between Palmdale and Los Angeles via the current METROLINK route is minimal and should be accommodated on the proposed double track route during off hours. Given the curvature of any route between Palmdale and Los Angeles, speeds in this area will be below 100 MPH even for HSR trains and therefore the track geometry can accommodate both freight and passenger service. Only on segments where speeds would approach 200 MPH would freight and passenger service have to be fully segregated in the initial system.

Funding for the Palmdale to Union Station section should be shared jointly with the HSR project, METROLINK and the Southwest Corridor.

Ontario Airport to Escondido

This is the second component of the Project as it constitutes the main high speed line connecting Los Angeles with the San Diego. This line also introcuces rail passenger service to the inland route along I-15. The higest permitted operating speeds will occur in this section of the project. This section of the HSR project would be designed for the maximum design speeds of 200 MPH. It would be completely segregated from the freight rail system and would only allow access to high speed trains and at few electrified passenger trains capable of running at least 125 MPH. All other trains would be excluded. Funding would be by the RAIL AUTHORITY.

Escondido to San Diego

Beginning in the South with the Escondido to San Diego access route we need to demand compatibility of the system with the existing approaches to Downtown San Diego. At the present time there are either 3 or four tracks available to trains between Old Town and the San Diego Station. Two of these are LRV tracks and do not have the proper electrification, clearance or track capacity for any service other than the existing LRV system. The third and in some locations fourth track is currently not electrified and serves freight and the Southwest Corridor trains running via Oceanside, these are operated at this time by BNSF, Amtrak and the Coaster. The growth in passenger traffic if it continues at the present rate, will shortly require that all single track be replace by double track between San Diego and Oceanside, This work is being scheduled over the next few years and in many cases is already in the budget process. It would be extremely difficult to accommodate additional tracks in the area between Old Town and the San Diego Station, North of the San Diego River where the route is currently single and in some location double track, it should be possible to fully double track with ease and in many locations to add even a third or a fourth track. RailPAC should advocate the dual use of these tracks by BNSF, the existing Southwest Corridor Services and by the proposed high speed trains as far as Miramar. These tracks would be fully electrified with probably three tracks from Miramar to Old Town and two tracks from Old Town to the Station on Broadway. Multiple use of these tracks by high speed, conventional trains, commuter trains as well as freight trains will rule out the use of MAGLEV technology. Speed limits would be 100 MPH for Commuter and Corridor trains and 125 MPH for HSR trains between Old Town and Miramar.

From Miramar two new tracks engineered for 125 MPH passenger operations would be constructed to the alignment of Interstate I-15 where they would follow the interstate to Escondido. These tracks could also be of a dual use nature if Coaster commuter trains were to operate over them from San Diego to Escondido. As a cooperative project of the HSR, the Coaster and the Southwest Corridor, the tracks from Miramar to Oceanside which are scheduled to be double tracked over the next 10 to 15 years should be electrified as part of the HSR project. In addition the Escondido to Oceanside Line which will be initially operated as a diesel rail car branch line should be electrified for use by electric Coaster Commuter Services, The coaster commuter trains running either on the HSR line, but making additional stops, or operating via Oceanside to Escondido will act as feeder distributors to the HSR project at Escondido.

The routing proposed by RailPAC would result in a route that is entirely grade separated from Old Town north the the main HSR tracks in Escondido, but would have several grade crossings between Old Town and the San Diego Station. However, these are manly secondary streets, some of which could be closed and the speed, even for HSR trains, would be below 60 MPH over this short segment. The nature of the alignment would preclude a practical grade separation in this area. Funding of these investments should be shared between the HSR Authority, the Coaster System and the San Diego - San Luis Obispo Southwest Corridor.


RailPAC Contacts Publications Issues Archives High Speed Rail Line Segments Service Impacts Meeting Reports Membership Links	RailPAC POSITION ON THE CALIFORNIA HIGH SPEED RAIL PROPOSAL NOTE: Subsequent to Dr. Herzog's writing this 1999 article RailPAC has endorsed the High Speed Rail Authority's plan to route its trains south of San Jose and across or under Pacheco Pass to the San Joaquin Valley, tying into the route south from Sacramento at approximately Merced. In reading this article please disregard references to Pleasanton, as they are no longer applicable. SAN FRANCISCO AND SAN JOSE TO PLEASANTON The approach to San Francisco from the south is currently via the double tracked Peninsula Commute Route. In addition BART is constructing a broad gauge line from San Francisco Airport to the City. It would be difficult to construct an additional double track access to San Francisco from the south. Therefore, RailPAC endorses the concept of the Peninsula Commute and the HSR working on implementing a joint grade separated right of way on the Peninsula. Similarly, the Capitol Corridor approaches the San Jose Station from the north. RailPAC therefore urges that the approach to San Jose be via a jointly maintained and heavily grade separated Capitol Corridor and HSR approach. As a bonus, some HSR trains from the south could operate via the Capitol Corridor into the East Bay Market. Just as the HSR project was used to justify electrification of the San Diego Los Angeles Santa Barbara Corridor, RailPAC would advocate the joint electrification of the Capitol Corridor and the Peninsula Corridor from San Francisco to Salinas as feeders and access routes for the HSR system. The Pleasanton to San Jose section should be able to accommodate conventional train speed limits of 90 MPH and HSR trains speeds of up to 120 MPH. The much more congested line on the Peninsula will probably be limited to a maximum of 90 MPH. However, as a fraction of the entire mileage of the state wide system, these routes are relatively short and therefore the actual train speeds over these segments will not strongly impact on the end to end running times between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Funding for the San Francisco and San Jose to Pleasanton section should be shared jointly with the HSR project, Peninsula Commute and the Capitol Corridor. PLEASANTON AND SACRAMENTO TO PALMDALE This is the heart of the Project as it constitutes the main high speed line connecting Southern California with the North. The higest permitted operating speeds will occur in this section of the project. This section of the HSR project would be designed for the maximum design speeds of 200 MPH. It would be completely segregated from the freight rail system and would only allow access to high speed trains and at few electrified passenger trains capable of running at least 125 MPH. All other trains would be excluded. Funding would be by the RAIL AUTHORITY. LOS ANGELES ACCESS AND LAX In the Los Angeles Urban Area the HSR system would operate over three routes. The first of these routes is from Palmdale to Los Angeles Union Station via Santa Clarita and Burbank, this is currently a METROLINK ROUTE from Palmdale to Burbank Junction and from Burbank Junction to Los Angeles is served by two METROLINK ROUTES, San Diego to Santa Barbara Corridor Trains and one long distance train to Seattle This track section, now fully double tracked is the highest density passenger route outside the Northeast Corridor.. A second route is from Los Angeles to Ontario Airport parallels two METROLINK ROUTES and the third is a route form Los Angeles Union Station to LAX. If HSR is to be successfully brought into the Los Angeles Urban landscape it needs to produce a fully grade separated route, while at the same time minimizing the impact on the urban environment. Unlike the San Diego Corridor where the San Diego Bullet Train proposal foundered on trying to impose an all new railroad into a first class residential environment, the bulk of the routes proposed for the HSR in the Los Angeles environment are in industrial areas where the impact can be minimized. In addition, the line from Union Station north through the San Fernando Valley can easily be double tracked from Burbank Junction to Silmar. From Silmar to Santa Clarita a second tunnel is needed for both high density METROLINK service in the future and for the HSR trains. Only by using standard gauge track technology can the HSR and METROLINK service share the same expensive infrastructure. From a purely economic standpoint it is not acceptable to have METROLINK through its local sales tax sources build a double track railroad from Los Angeles to Santa Clarita and then to have a state agency build a second non compatible double track route between the same two points. RailPAC must encourage METROLINK and the HSR to pool their financial and engineering talent to produce a double track electrified route from Palmdale to Burbank Junction and a minimum of a triple, and preferably a four track main from Burbank Junction to Union Station. All secondary crossings should be closed and all remaining major crossings should be grade separated. As part of this northern approach to Union Station, the HSR Project should involve the electrification and full double tracking of the Coast Route from Burbank Junction to Santa Barbara, including the construction of a second Chatsworth tunnel. This route would be used by UP freight trains, METROLINK, Southwest Corridor Trains and long distance Coast Route trains including TALGO trains to San Francisco and SUPERLINER TRAINS TO SEATTLE. Speed limits for conventional trains would be 90 MPH on the Coast Line and somewhat faster for TALOG trains. By sharing resources on the northern approaches to Union Station, METROLINK, The Southwest Corridor and the HSR Project, can leverage taxpayer contributions to produce the most optimum and lowest cost solution. Savings from such cooperation can be used for the double tracking and electrification of the coast route from Santa Barbara to Union Station and the Electrification of the current San Diego Route between Union Station and Oceanside. This work could even be done before the inland route to San Diego via Ontario Airport and Escondido is completed so that high speed trains from the north could operate as far south as San Diego as soon as the line from northern California reaches Union Station in Los Angeles. Once the inland line becomes fully operational, the older coast route would continue to function as a high density commuter line acting as a feeder to HSR at Union Station. The amount of freight traffic between Palmdale and Los Angeles via the current METROLINK route is minimal and should be accommodated on the proposed double track route during off hours. Given the curvature of any route between Palmdale and Los Angeles, speeds in this area will be below 100 MPH even for HSR trains and therefore the track geometry can accommodate both freight and passenger service. Only on segments where speeds would approach 200 MPH would freight and passenger service have to be fully segregated in the initial system. Funding for the Palmdale to Union Station section should be shared jointly with the HSR project, METROLINK and the Southwest Corridor. Ontario Airport to Escondido This is the second component of the Project as it constitutes the main high speed line connecting Los Angeles with the San Diego. This line also introcuces rail passenger service to the inland route along I-15. The higest permitted operating speeds will occur in this section of the project. This section of the HSR project would be designed for the maximum design speeds of 200 MPH. It would be completely segregated from the freight rail system and would only allow access to high speed trains and at few electrified passenger trains capable of running at least 125 MPH. All other trains would be excluded. Funding would be by the RAIL AUTHORITY. Escondido to San Diego Beginning in the South with the Escondido to San Diego access route we need to demand compatibility of the system with the existing approaches to Downtown San Diego. At the present time there are either 3 or four tracks available to trains between Old Town and the San Diego Station. Two of these are LRV tracks and do not have the proper electrification, clearance or track capacity for any service other than the existing LRV system. The third and in some locations fourth track is currently not electrified and serves freight and the Southwest Corridor trains running via Oceanside, these are operated at this time by BNSF, Amtrak and the Coaster. The growth in passenger traffic if it continues at the present rate, will shortly require that all single track be replace by double track between San Diego and Oceanside, This work is being scheduled over the next few years and in many cases is already in the budget process. It would be extremely difficult to accommodate additional tracks in the area between Old Town and the San Diego Station, North of the San Diego River where the route is currently single and in some location double track, it should be possible to fully double track with ease and in many locations to add even a third or a fourth track. RailPAC should advocate the dual use of these tracks by BNSF, the existing Southwest Corridor Services and by the proposed high speed trains as far as Miramar. These tracks would be fully electrified with probably three tracks from Miramar to Old Town and two tracks from Old Town to the Station on Broadway. Multiple use of these tracks by high speed, conventional trains, commuter trains as well as freight trains will rule out the use of MAGLEV technology. Speed limits would be 100 MPH for Commuter and Corridor trains and 125 MPH for HSR trains between Old Town and Miramar. From Miramar two new tracks engineered for 125 MPH passenger operations would be constructed to the alignment of Interstate I-15 where they would follow the interstate to Escondido. These tracks could also be of a dual use nature if Coaster commuter trains were to operate over them from San Diego to Escondido. As a cooperative project of the HSR, the Coaster and the Southwest Corridor, the tracks from Miramar to Oceanside which are scheduled to be double tracked over the next 10 to 15 years should be electrified as part of the HSR project. In addition the Escondido to Oceanside Line which will be initially operated as a diesel rail car branch line should be electrified for use by electric Coaster Commuter Services, The coaster commuter trains running either on the HSR line, but making additional stops, or operating via Oceanside to Escondido will act as feeder distributors to the HSR project at Escondido. The routing proposed by RailPAC would result in a route that is entirely grade separated from Old Town north the the main HSR tracks in Escondido, but would have several grade crossings between Old Town and the San Diego Station. However, these are manly secondary streets, some of which could be closed and the speed, even for HSR trains, would be below 60 MPH over this short segment. The nature of the alignment would preclude a practical grade separation in this area. Funding of these investments should be shared between the HSR Authority, the Coaster System and the San Diego - San Luis Obispo Southwest Corridor.
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