Atherton talks trains Atherton talks trains (May 12, 2004)

** Big worries about big projects in railroad's future.

By Andrea Gemmet
Almanac Staff Writer

Atherton officials have trains on the brain. Worries about how electrification, high-speed rail, and grade-separation projects could affect the character of the town consumed the bulk of the May 6 town meeting hosted by the Atherton Civic Interest League.

On the horizon, but undeniably heading this way, are major changes that could spell a big increase in the number of trains hurtling through town and necessitate major construction projects -- and the possibility of private property being taken to accommodate an additional set of train tracks for high-speed rail service from Los Angeles, according to Chuck Harvey, Caltrain's chief operating officer, and Atherton Councilman Jim Janz.

Mr. Harvey delivered a high-speed presentation on the massive, $25 billion project to create high-speed rail service that could take passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in 2 1/2 hours.

He noted that although trains would likely slow from a top speed of 300 mph to about 120 mph through the heavily populated Peninsula, grade-separation projects such as the one at 5th Avenue in Redwood City, would be necessary to prevent trains from tangling with vehicle traffic. Mr. Janz said town officials are currently working with Caltrain engineers to research grade-separation projects for Atherton's railroad crossings.

The alternative to grade separations is to block a road, making it dead-end at the tracks, something the Atherton council opposed in 1998.

"We want to find out what's feasible," Mr. Janz said, warning: "We're far from having any conclusions on what we want our position to be."

Although the funding for both electrification and high-speed rail is far from secure, and proposed start dates are years away, environmental impact reports for both projects are currently circulating, said Mr. Janz.

The Atherton council opposed the electrification of Caltrain in 1998, but hasn't taken a more recent position.

A question from the audience during a panel discussion, which also featured former state Public Utilities Commission president Greg Conlon and former Atherton Councilman Malcolm Dudley, highlighted a potential conflict in the electrification and high-speed rail projects. Grade-separation work to accommodate high-speed rail would have to be ripped up and redone to accommodate electrification, Mr. Janz said.

Currently, the preferred option is for the rail service to go through the entire Peninsula along the Caltrain right-of-way, which would have to be expanded to accommodate a second pair of train tracks, with land purchased from adjacent property owners.

"The current right-of-way is not sufficient," said Mr. Harvey.

However, Mr. Janz cautioned that an alternate route, which would bring trains across the Bay along the Dumbarton rail bridge, bypassing Atherton, is still a possibility, as is the potential for high-speed rail to share existing tracks with local commuter trains.

He said Atherton should work with neighboring cities to make sure high-speed rail service doesn't turn out to be detrimental to the communities they pass through. He suggested that running the trains underground might be a good solution.

Atherton is fresh from a partial victory over proposed service cuts in Caltrain's new spring schedule, which kicks off in June. Lobbying efforts restored regular weekend service to the town's historic station and fewer cuts to weekday service.

"We didn't get all we wanted, but our message was heard. Now it's up to people in town to demonstrate it by using the service," Mr. Janz said.

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