SANTA CRUZ — After more than a year of conducting studies and analyzing data, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission has provided the public with its first comprehensive view of what passenger rail service could look like in the county and how much it will cost to get there.
According to the
executive summary
of a draft
Zero Emission Passenger Rail and Trail project
concept report that was released Friday, establishing a passenger rail system along the commission-owned Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line will cost approximately $4.28 billion. The projected average annual operating expenses range from $34 million to $41 million.
The preliminary estimate and larger report that it is included in will be refined over the coming months as commission staff work toward releasing a finalized study with updated figures in August.
The money would go to establishing a 22-mile system that stretches from Pajaro in North Monterey County to Natural Bridges Road in Santa Cruz and operates daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. with 30-minute headways and a 45-minute end-to-end runtime. The commission estimated, based on year 2045 projections, that 3,500 to 6,000 riders would utilize the system every weekday.
The project identified nine potential station locations based on ridership demand and access considerations. The stations would be situated at:
• Natural Bridges Drive (Santa Cruz)
• Boardwalk/Downtown Santa Cruz
• Seabright (Santa Cruz)
• 17th Avenue (Santa Cruz)
• Capitola
• Cabrillo (New Brighton Road)
• Aptos
• Downtown Watsonville
• Pajaro
The Pajaro station would play an especially notable role as it is
envisioned as the connecting point
to the California State Rail Network that travels up and down the state.
The single-track network in Santa Cruz County would also include five “meet-pass” areas where passenger vehicles could interact and pass one another in West Watsonville, Spring Valley Road, Rio Del Mar and Capitola and Seabright stations.
The recommended vehicle type is still up in the air, but commission staff appear to have a favorable view of the Stadler FLIRT — a trainset already used in San Bernadino County on the Metrolink Arrow service that includes two passenger cars permanently coupled to a power car. The trainset comes with a capacity of 234 passengers — 116 seated and 118 that stand.
The vehicle system is also compatible with multiple propulsion mechanisms including battery, hydrogen, diesel or hybrid, according to the draft study.
The report recommends the commission invest in 10 trainsets to accommodate peak service periods and maintenance schedules while noting that it is possible to couple and operate two of the trainsets together for a higher capacity, four-car variation.
Of the 33 existing bridge structures within the 22-mile line, 28 have been recommended for full replacement because of condition and capacity deficiencies, functionality needs or maintenance and operation considerations. The commission shared at an
informational meeting in March
that it would cost about $980 million to replace these structures, many of which were established in the early 1900s.
While there will be localized environmental constraints in various areas along the corridor, the agency’s staff noted that many impacts will likely be reduced through project design refinement and collaboration with state and federal regulatory agencies.
In addition to the passenger rail system, the project’s scope also includes development for 12 miles of the ongoing Coastal Rail Trail project.
The cost estimate for the train system was also arrived at under the assumption of an at-grade alignment for the rail system, including on Beach Street near the Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz. However, the report recognizes that an elevated alignment is still under consideration for a particularly thorny planning area along Beach Street between the San Lorenzo River and Cliff Street, but that design would come with added costs.
The public will have two opportunities in the coming days to view a detailed breakdown of the report and its implications. The first will take place from 3:30-5 p.m. Monday as part of a
hybrid public information meeting
. Then, the commission’s board will have a thorough look of its own at its
monthly meeting
, happening at 6 p.m. Thursday. The meeting will be held in the Watsonville City Council chambers at 275 Main St., fourth floor in Watsonville.
IF YOU GO
What: Santa Cruz County RTC meeting and passenger rail draft concept report presentation.
When: 6 p.m., Thursday
Where: Watsonville City Council chambers, 275 Main St., fourth floor in Watsonville.
How: In person or online via Zoom at
us02web.zoom.us/j/89597173447
.