Panel of Contributors: High speed rail on the horizon Panel of Contributors: High speed rail on the horizon (November 23, 2005)

By Arthur L. Lloyd

The California High Speed Rail Authority at its most recent meeting held in Sacramento on November 1 and 2 unanimously approved the environmental impact report (EIR) for the project, although the next step, funding, is far from certain.

The decision caps years of study for the proposed 710-mile system that will initially link San Francisco and Los Angeles as well as San Jose and, eventually, build to San Diego, Sacramento and Oakland. Trains will reach speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour and offer frequent service including stops at, for example, Fresno and Bakersfield, which have limited local air service at present.

How will this affect Caltrain and cities on the San Francisco Peninsula? One big plus is the elimination of all grade crossings which was done for Amtrak's high speed Acela trains between New York and Washington, D.C. Speeds on the Peninsula will probably not exceed 125 miles per hour on a dedicated right of way.

Sharing with Caltrain will depend wholly on the type of train to be built for California high speed rail. Because freight service also runs on the Caltrain line (two scheduled Union Pacific freights per day run at night) the Federal Railroad Administration has strict regulations as to "buffer strength" in the event of an accident.

Due to this requirement, Amtrak was unable to buy off-the-shelf equipment for its Acela trains from France, Germany and Japan and had to design stronger cars due to frequent commuter, freight and long distance passenger trains using its route between Boston, New York and Washington, D.C.

The high speed rail routing is set, except for the line between the San Joaquin Valley and the Bay Area. The original plan was to use Pacheco Pass from a point near Merced (an important stop for tourists to reach Yosemite) to south of Gilroy, and then go north through San Jose and on to San Francisco with stops probably at Palo Alto (second busiest boarding point on Caltrain) and Millbrae (for SF0). San Jose and Silicon Valley are pushing for this route to have direct frequent trains to San Francisco and object to a route using Union City that would involve a spur line to San Jose.

San Joaquin Valley and other groups are pushing for an Altamont Pass alignment with trains going north to Modesto, then through Altamont and the Livermore/Pleasanton area and across the southern part of San Francisco Bay to Redwood Junction (near Redwood City), then north to San Francisco with a line splitting to San Jose at a point near Union City. The High Speed Rail Commission has agreed to further study of the Altamont route.

High speed rail has tremendous benefits, including quieter electrified line and grade crossings that will eliminate loud horns. The United States lags behind Europe, Japan and Korea and it is time to catch up. High speed rail is the answer.

Arthur L. Lloyd is a member of the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board, which oversees operation of Caltrain. He lives in Portola Valley and is a member of the Almanac's Panel of Contributors.

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