Valley Link is a proposed

hybrid rail Hybrid rail, also known as diesel light rail transit (DLRT), is a mode of Passenger train, passenger rail service unique to North America that uses lightweight Multiple unit, multiple unit trains—typically Diesel multiple unit, diesel multiple u ...

(

light rail Light rail (or light rail transit, abbreviated to LRT) is a form of passenger urban rail transit that uses rolling stock derived from tram technology National Conference of the Transportation Research Board while also having some features from ...

with some features similar to

commuter rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...

) line in

Northern California Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal) is a geocultural region that comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, spanning the northernmost 48 of the state's List of counties in California, 58 counties. Northern Ca ...

, which seeks to connect the

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT) or heavy rail, commonly referred to as metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport that is generally built in urban areas. A grade separation, grade separated rapid transit line below ground su ...

Bay Area Rapid Transit Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area in California. BART serves 50 stations along six routes and of track, including eBART, a spur line running to Antioch, and Oakland Airport Connecto ...

(BART) system in the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

with the northern

San Joaquin Valley The San Joaquin Valley ( ; Spanish language in California, Spanish: ''Valle de San Joaquín'') is the southern half of California's Central Valley (California), Central Valley. Famed as a major breadbasket, the San Joaquin Valley is an importa ...

via the

Tri-Valley The Tri-Valley area is grouping of three valleys in the East Bay region of California's Bay Area. The three valleys are Amador Valley, Livermore Valley, and San Ramon Valley. The Tri-Valley encompasses the cities of Dublin, Livermore, Pleasa ...

region. , BART's Blue Line's eastern terminus is at Dublin/Pleasanton station on the border of

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

and Pleasanton. Valley Link seeks to extend rail service east from here into the northern San Joaquin Valley over

Altamont Pass Altamont Pass, formerly Livermore Pass, is a low mountain pass in the Diablo Range of Northern California between Livermore in the Livermore Valley and Tracy in the San Joaquin Valley. The name is actually applied to two distinct but nea ...

, which would help alleviate

traffic congestion Traffic congestion is a condition in transport that is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. Traffic congestion on urban road networks has increased substantially since the 1950s, resulting in m ...

and reduce

greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from human activities intensify the greenhouse effect. This contributes to climate change. Carbon dioxide (), from burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, oil, and natural gas, is the main cause of climate chan ...

on Interstate 580 (I-580). The project resulted from various failed proposals to extend the Blue Line east to Livermore. The line would run within the median of Interstate 580 (I-580),

right-of-way A right of way (also right-of-way) is a specific route that people, animals, vehicles, watercraft, or utility lines travel, or the legal status that gives them the right to do so. Rights-of-way in the physical sense include controlled-access h ...

of the

first transcontinental railroad America's first transcontinental railroad (known originally as the "Pacific Railroad" and later as the "Overland Route (Union Pacific Railroad), Overland Route") was a continuous railroad line built between 1863 and 1869 that connected the exis ...

owned by

Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. A ...

, and new right-of-way in

San Joaquin County San Joaquin County ( ; , meaning " St. Joachim"), officially the County of San Joaquin, is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 779,233. The county seat is Stockton. San Jo ...

. It is being planned by the Tri-Valley–San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority, a

special-purpose district Special districts (also known as special service districts, special district governments, or limited purpose entities) are independent, special-purpose governmental units that exist separately from local governments such as county, municipal, and ...

body formed for the sole purpose of its planning. Valley Link is ultimately planned to run between Dublin/Pleasanton station and the

Altamont Corridor Express The Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) is a commuter rail service in California, connecting Stockton and San Jose during peak hours only. ACE is named for the Altamont Pass, through which it runs. Service is managed by the San Joaquin Regional R ...

’s (ACE) future

North Lathrop station North Lathrop station is a planned Altamont Corridor Express station in Lathrop, California – the second to be constructed in the city. It was expected to open to revenue service in 2023 as part of the first phase of ACE's Merced Extension pr ...

utilizing

standard-gauge A standard-gauge railway is a railway with a track gauge of . The standard gauge is also called Stephenson gauge (after George Stephenson), international gauge, UIC gauge, uniform gauge, normal gauge in Europe, and SGR in East Africa. It is the ...

zero-emission A zero emission engine, motor, process, or other energy source emits no waste products that pollute the environment or disrupt the climate. Zero emission engines Vehicles and other mobile machinery used for transport (over land, sea, air, rail) and ...

hydrogen train In transportation, the original (2003) generic term "hydrail" includes hydrogen trains, zero-emission multiple units, or ZEMUs—generic terms describing rail vehicles, large or small, which use on-board hydrogen fuel as a source of energy to p ...

sets. The initial operating phase is the line between Dublin/Pleasanton station and Mountain House Community station near the community of Mountain House in the San Joaquin Valley, with the segment from Mountain House to North Lathrop being reserved for future planning. This segment, which includes new stations at Isabel Avenue, Southfront Road, and Mountain House, is currently undergoing engineering and environmental review and design, with construction expected to begin as early as 2025 and end as early as 2035.

History

About of the

right of way A right of way (also right-of-way) is a specific route that people, animals, vehicles, watercraft, or utility lines travel, or the legal status that gives them the right to do so. Rights-of-way in the physical sense include controlled-access h ...

through the

and

, originally established in 1869 by the old Western Pacific Railroad, was

deed A deed is a legal document that is signed and delivered, especially concerning the ownership of property or legal rights. Specifically, in common law, a deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, affirms or confirms an interest, right ...

ed to

Southern Pacific Railroad The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Railroad classes#Class I, Class I Rail transport, railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was oper ...

in 1984. This historic 1869 route featured a Summit Tunnel, long, blasted and dug by Chinese laborers. The

Altamont Commuter Express The Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) is a commuter rail service in California, connecting Stockton and San Jose during peak hours only. ACE is named for the Altamont Pass, through which it runs. Service is managed by the San Joaquin Regional R ...

service, which began between Stockton and San Jose in 1998, uses the other Union Pacific right of way that goes over

, established in 1908. A similar plan to run

diesel multiple unit A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple-unit train powered by on-board diesel engines. A DMU requires no separate locomotive, as the engines are incorporated into one or more of the carriages. Diesel-powered single-unit railcars are also ...

trains across Altamont Pass was proposed by BART in 2003, though it comprised a larger service area (continuing north along the

Iron Horse Regional Trail The Iron Horse Regional Trail is a rail trail for pedestrians, horse riders and bicycles in the East Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), East Bay Area in California. This trail is located in inland central Alameda County, California, Alameda and ...

, a former

Southern Pacific The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the names ...

right-of-way). In 2017, citing lack of interest from the

Bay Area Rapid Transit District The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (abbreviated BART) is a special-purpose district body that governs the Bay Area Rapid Transit, Bay Area Rapid Transit system in the California counties of Alameda County, California, Alameda, Contr ...

in bringing BART service directly to Livermore, the Livermore City Council proposed a newly established local entity to undertake planning and construction of the extension, which was also recommended by the California State Assembly Transportation Committee. Assembly Bill 758 was signed by

Governor of California The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The Governor (United States), governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard. Established in the Constit ...

Jerry Brown Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic P ...

on October 13, 2017, formally establishing the Authority. On May 24, 2018, the BART board voted against a full

BART build or a bus rapid transit system to extend service east from Dublin/Pleasanton station. This prompted the new Rail Authority to initiate planning of a new transit system. A final feasibility report was released in October 2019. The buildout cost to North Lathrop was estimated at between $1.88 billion and $3.21 billion, with an expected start of operations between the second quarter of 2027 and the fourth quarter of 2028. Scott Haggerty, one of the founders of the TVSJVRRA, noted that the popularity of the project was reflected in the volume of public comments to the feasibility report. A draft

environmental impact report An environmental impact statement (EIS), under United States environmental law, is a document required by the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for certain actions "significantly affecting the quality of the human environment". An EIS ...

was released in December 2020. The final environmental impact report was approved by the board in May 2021, allowing the rail authority to proceed with design and continue seeking funding for the project. By 2023, the locally preferred alternative had the line utilizing the I-580 median and Western Pacific alignment until realigning with I-580 north of the Summit Tunnel and continuing east to Mountain House. Selection of the alternate Mountain House station location and alignment east of Altamont Pass forced the agency to redo part of the EIR. By 2024, service was proposed to start in 2035.

Rail service

Valley Link is a plan to utilize

sets along the former

through the

and in the Interstate 580 median through the city of Livermore. Trains would initially run from the Dublin/Pleasanton station to Mountain House Community station, with intermediate stations at Isabel and Southfront Road. Weekday service would connect to every other BART train at Dublin/Pleasanton. The developer of

River Islands A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of its course if it run ...

has offered to cover the cost of station construction in exchange for the ability to build a

transit village A transit village is a pedestrian-friendly mixed-use district or neighborhood oriented around the station of a high-quality transit system, such as rail or B.R.T. Often a civic square of public space abuts the train station, functioning as the ...

at the site. In 2018, Stadler met with the governing board to discuss traction sources;

or diesel/ battery electric

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two diff ...

vehicles will likely serve the route.

AECOM AECOM (, ; formerly AECOM Technology Corporation; stylised A''Ξ''COM) is an American multinational infrastructure consulting firm headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The company's official name from 1990–2015 was AECOM Technology Corporation, ...

was contracted to perform a feasibility study for the project that same year. The

loading gauge A loading gauge is a diagram or physical structure that defines the maximum height and width dimensions in railway vehicles and their loads. Their purpose is to ensure that rail vehicles can pass safely through tunnels and under bridges, and k ...

of highway underpasses limits the selection of rolling stock. The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission agreed to operate the service in 2020.

Funding

Funds previously allocated to BART to construct a Livermore extension were forfeited to this authority by July 1, 2018, amounting to at least $145 million. Funding for the feasibility study was provided variously by

Caltrans The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is an Executive (government), executive department of the U.S. state of California. The department is part of the Government of California#State agencies, cabinet-level California State Tran ...

, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and the San Joaquin County Council of Governments. By February 2019, more than $588 million had been accumulated for the project. In 2020, the project gained a further $400 million from reallocated BART funds. In 2023, the state of

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

awarded the project $25 million.

Stations

The following are initial planned stations along the route: Further phases are planned to extend the line north to Lathrop and Stockton.

Infill station An infill station (sometimes in-fill station) is a train station built on an existing passenger rail, rapid transit, or light rail line to address demand in a location between existing stations. Such stations take advantage of existing train ser ...

s at Ellis and Grant Line Road may be added in the future.

References

External links

Official website of Valley Link Rail
{{SFBAtransit Valley Link Proposed railway lines in California 2017 establishments in California Railway lines in highway medians Railway companies established in 2017 2035 in rail transport