The San Joaquins Should Go By Rail Between Los Angeles And Bakersfield

Will passenger trains ever again cross this world-famous railfan site, the Tehachapi Loop? This heavily traveled location sees BNSF and UP freight trains frequenly throughout the day. Russ Jackson photo

The San Joaquins Should Go By Rail Between Los Angeles And Bakersfield

Commentary by George Gaekle, Modesto, CA.

NOTE: This article first appeared in the Western Rail Passenger Review in March, 2002. One of RailPAC's long-term goals is securing Amtrak rail, not just bus, service between Bakersfield and Los Angeles. Mr. Gaekle has represented Stanislaus County on the San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee for a long time, and wrote this article for the Review. Other comments on the subject follow.

One of the original goals of the San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee since the 1980's was rail service between Bakersfield and Los Angeles. We have tried unsuccessfully in the past to get Amtrak and Caltrans to support us. Each time we were told either that SP (now UP) was opposed because of freight train congestion or that it would be too expensive or both. The UP apparently takes the position it does not have room for just one more train each way overnight over the Tehachapi route. Do you suppose UP would not find room for just one more freight train each way? Art Lloyd says that during World War II, when the railroads were busier than at any time in our history and at a time when communications were primitive compared to what exists now, there were at least six passenger trains run daily by the SP and Santa Fe on that route.

I have strongly urged the SJVRC to begin to take actions to mount an offensive for this service. Not for all San Joaquins, just for #718 and 711, so that customers don't have to arrive in Los Angeles by bus at the absurd hour of 2:35 a.m., or leave at the equally absurd hour of 1:35 a.m. True, it might take between three and four hours longer by train than by bus. In 1959 SP's overnight train, the West Coast, was scheduled for 5 hrs 15 minutes southbound. With additional stops at Mojave, Lancaster and Palmdale, a southbound arrival in Los Angeles at 7:00 and a northbound departure from there between 10 and 11 p.m. are far more decent times than is the case with the current buses.

This service will not be an easy thing to accomplish. Money and the railroad are the two biggest problems, but we should begin the task now! ##

NOTE: The current status of this project finds in 2004 the BNSF approving passenger service on their co-owned segment of the line, as proposed by the author above. However, in an August 5, 2002 letter to Caltrans Division of Rail, the Union Pacific stated they do not "feel that this proposed service extension warrants the dedication of (their) additional, and limited, resources required to perform this (requested) capacity study." While Amtrak has the right under its 1970 enabling act to operate on this and any other railroad that previously carried passenger trains, it must be negotiated with the host railroad.
Retired UP executive, Mike Ongerth, said that the UP doesn't need double track on the whole segment, just the "30 miles of single track, a 2.54% grade, with 16 tunnels, all of them single track at present," from Bakersfield to Tehachapi. Double tracking "the whole 30 miles is about all that can be done to make a significant improvement. I would expect that, knowing there are six pair of San Joaquins, that the cost of meaningful capacity improvements will exceed $300 million. The state would never agree to that figure for just one train pair."
Mike McGinley, Metrolink Director of Engineering, told RailPAC in June, 2002, "I do have reservations about passenger trains over Tehachapi until it is greatly improved. Such an improvement may be a reasonable public investment for both freight and passenger reasons. Until then I would worry about service quality as the UP tries to move 50 or so trains on that grade daily, and at those speeds, and still retain some time to do track maintenance. My experience was that it takes a small rail gang working about 5 months out of 12 to stay up with curve wear." Regarding the 6 passenger trains the SP ran in WW2, McGinley said, "Much less tonnage (then), shorter trains that fit in all the sidings, and a more disciplined work force. With three to five brakemen on each freight, broken knuckles and air hoses got rapaired and the train was under way much quicker." So, the debate continues.


RailPAC Contacts Publications Issues Archives Tehachapi Airports Surfliners Western Corridor Car High Speed Rail Zephyr to LA Revisited Tributes Eagle to Phoenix Meeting Reports Membership Links	Will passenger trains ever again cross this world-famous railfan site, the Tehachapi Loop? This heavily traveled location sees BNSF and UP freight trains frequenly throughout the day. Russ Jackson photo The San Joaquins Should Go By Rail Between Los Angeles And Bakersfield Commentary by George Gaekle, Modesto, CA. NOTE: This article first appeared in the Western Rail Passenger Review in March, 2002. One of RailPAC's long-term goals is securing Amtrak rail, not just bus, service between Bakersfield and Los Angeles. Mr. Gaekle has represented Stanislaus County on the San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee for a long time, and wrote this article for the Review. Other comments on the subject follow. One of the original goals of the San Joaquin Valley Rail Committee since the 1980's was rail service between Bakersfield and Los Angeles. We have tried unsuccessfully in the past to get Amtrak and Caltrans to support us. Each time we were told either that SP (now UP) was opposed because of freight train congestion or that it would be too expensive or both. The UP apparently takes the position it does not have room for just one more train each way overnight over the Tehachapi route. Do you suppose UP would not find room for just one more freight train each way? Art Lloyd says that during World War II, when the railroads were busier than at any time in our history and at a time when communications were primitive compared to what exists now, there were at least six passenger trains run daily by the SP and Santa Fe on that route. I have strongly urged the SJVRC to begin to take actions to mount an offensive for this service. Not for all San Joaquins, just for #718 and 711, so that customers don't have to arrive in Los Angeles by bus at the absurd hour of 2:35 a.m., or leave at the equally absurd hour of 1:35 a.m. True, it might take between three and four hours longer by train than by bus. In 1959 SP's overnight train, the West Coast, was scheduled for 5 hrs 15 minutes southbound. With additional stops at Mojave, Lancaster and Palmdale, a southbound arrival in Los Angeles at 7:00 and a northbound departure from there between 10 and 11 p.m. are far more decent times than is the case with the current buses. This service will not be an easy thing to accomplish. Money and the railroad are the two biggest problems, but we should begin the task now! ## NOTE: The current status of this project finds in 2004 the BNSF approving passenger service on their co-owned segment of the line, as proposed by the author above. However, in an August 5, 2002 letter to Caltrans Division of Rail, the Union Pacific stated they do not "feel that this proposed service extension warrants the dedication of (their) additional, and limited, resources required to perform this (requested) capacity study." While Amtrak has the right under its 1970 enabling act to operate on this and any other railroad that previously carried passenger trains, it must be negotiated with the host railroad. Retired UP executive, Mike Ongerth, said that the UP doesn't need double track on the whole segment, just the "30 miles of single track, a 2.54% grade, with 16 tunnels, all of them single track at present," from Bakersfield to Tehachapi. Double tracking "the whole 30 miles is about all that can be done to make a significant improvement. I would expect that, knowing there are six pair of San Joaquins, that the cost of meaningful capacity improvements will exceed $300 million. The state would never agree to that figure for just one train pair." Mike McGinley, Metrolink Director of Engineering, told RailPAC in June, 2002, "I do have reservations about passenger trains over Tehachapi until it is greatly improved. Such an improvement may be a reasonable public investment for both freight and passenger reasons. Until then I would worry about service quality as the UP tries to move 50 or so trains on that grade daily, and at those speeds, and still retain some time to do track maintenance. My experience was that it takes a small rail gang working about 5 months out of 12 to stay up with curve wear." Regarding the 6 passenger trains the SP ran in WW2, McGinley said, "Much less tonnage (then), shorter trains that fit in all the sidings, and a more disciplined work force. With three to five brakemen on each freight, broken knuckles and air hoses got rapaired and the train was under way much quicker." So, the debate continues.
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