California Regional Rail Advantages

California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), Caltrain, LA Metro, Metrolink, Orange County Transportation Administration (OCTA), North County Transportation District (NCTD) are gradually modernizing corridors used by Amtrak California (Pacific Surfliner, Capital Corridor, Amtrak San Joaquin), Caltrain, Metrolink & COASTER commuter trains.

California HSR and Brightline West HSR can’t reach their ridership potential without interconnections to Modernized Amtrak Regional Rail, Modernized Commuter Rail and expanded Metro Rail in San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles Metro Area, San Diego Metro Area and Sacramento Metro Area.

Pre-pandemic, Pacific Surfliner was the 3rd busiest Amtrak route with 2.8 million annual riders traveling in San Luis Obispo-Los Angeles-San Diego (“LOSSAN”) corridor. Amtrak Capital Corridor reached 1.8 million annual riders traveling in San Jose-Oakland-Sacramento corridor. Amtrak San Joaquin trains (Oakland-Bakersfield & Sacramento-Bakersfield) attracted 1.1 million annual riders.

Pre-pandemic Amtrak California ridership is on pace to return by the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

In 2025, 7.2 million annual passengers ride Caltrain commuter rail serving San Francisco Bay Area. Over 5.6 million ride Metrolink commuter rail in Los Angeles Metro Area and nearly 900,000 rode COASTER commuter rail in San Diego County. COASTER and 4 Metrolink lines share portions of their route & stations with Amtrak Pacific Surfliner. Caltrain shares a small portion of its route & stations with Amtrak Capital Corridor.

Shamefully small federal funding, insufficient state funding, and excessive regulation hamstring Amtrak California and California’s commuter rail projects. BNSF and Union Pacific freight rail companies own enough shared route to complicate Amtrak California and Commuter Rail upgrades too.

Even with similar high regulation, Western European Regional & Suburban Rail attract 5X to 10X more ridership than today’s Amtrak California regional lines and California’s commuter rail lines because their governments prioritize intercity passenger rail and rapid transit project funding.

Consider the Western European definition of “Modernized Regional Rail” where electric regional trains reach 99-137 mph top speed and 20-30-minute Peak frequency. France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy and Netherlands have also Modernized Suburban Rail (Commuter Rail) for electric trains to reach 81-93 mph top speed and 10-15 minute Peak frequency.

Since 2023, the Regional & Suburban Rail of Western European nations have surpassed 54% and climbing. Like Western Europe, Amtrak California Regional lines and Commuter Rail lines already have modern train control systems, shared tracks in urban area, and luggage racks on tracks. To modernize California’s Regional Rail and Commuter Rail, these upgrades are needed:

• 2 Main Tracks for concurrent, opposite direction train operations
• 2 Passing Tracks in select places so Express Trains can bypass Local Train stops
• Siding track in select places so passenger trains can bypass slow/stopped freight trains
• Level Boarding between station platforms and train floors for faster boarding & exit
• Electrification & modern signaling for faster acceleration and 110-125 mph top speeds
• Pulse Scheduling for trains to arrive at each station in consistent intervals
• More railroad & pedestrian over/underpasses for higher speeds, frequencies & safety
• Small street closures & route fencing for pedestrian safety
• Quad Gate Systems where its impractical to build over/underpasses or close streets
• Enhance stations with passenger amenities

Northern California Regional Rail Benefits Symbiotic With California HSR

California has one partially Modernized Commuter Rail line, Caltrain, operating 49 miles between San Francisco and San Jose. Over 2016-25, Caltrain upgraded to 2 Main tracks, installed electric trains, new signaling, more railroad over/underpasses, 2 street closures, and safer Quad Gate Systems at level railroad crossings.

Caltrain operates 4 Peak trains/hour in San Francisco-San Jose corridor segment and 2 Peak trains/hour in San Jose Gilroy-corridor segment. Caltrain is also moving towards Pulse Scheduling every 10, 15 and 30 minutes. SFO Airport Station and San Jose Diridon Station are in various stages of upgrade planning. Google is building a 60-acre campus near San Jose Diridon Station.

By 2045, Caltrain would like to operate 8 trains/hour in San Francisco-San Jose corridor, 4 Peak trains/hour in San Jose Gilroy corridor segment. At the same time, California HSR would like to operate 4 trains/hour in San Francisco-San Jose-Gilroy corridor segment.

Caltrain is unlikely to achieve those operating metrics without full modernization like French Suburban Rail. Hence, it needs a 1.4 mile tunnel into Salesforce Transit Center by 2033, along with 39 railroad over/underpasses, 2 street closures, fencing, and Level Boarding at all stations in following years. The 30-mile San Jose-Gilroy corridor segment needs similar full modernization.

More San Francisco-San Jose segment progress is underway via 16 railroad over/underpasses + 4 pedestrian underpasses in construction, final design or environmental clearance. Another 15 railroad over/underpasses in Alternatives Evaluation could take years before entering Environmental Review, but complete between 2040-45. Ditto for 27 level railroad crossings in San Jose-Gilroy segment.

Amtrak Capitol Corridor and ACE Commuter Rail in the San Francisco Bay Area also make a compelling case for significant federal and state grants.

Amtrak Capitol Corridor is the 5th busiest Amtrak route and operates 15 daily roundtrips. It shares part of its regional route with Caltrain and ACE up to Santa Clara Station and with ACE up to Fremont Station. Most Capitol Corridor route is also shared with Amtrak Coast Starlight long-distance trains between San Jose and Sacramento.

Before the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s federal funding was approved, state & local funding of the Amtrak Capitol Corridor South Bay Connect Project planned to add 2 passenger-only tracks in a more direct route between San Jose and Oakland, 1 railroad overpass, and a larger Ardenwood Station to serve more patrons in Fremont by 2028. ACE has a similar upgrade projects advancing to improve commuter service in San Jose-Fremont-Tracy-Stockton corridor.

The state and counties previously committed $1.65 billion to Amtrak Capitol Corridor and ACE Regional Rail upgrades. These Amtrak California and Commuter Rail lines merits far more county, state and federal grants. If so, Amtrak Capitol Corridor, Amtrak Coast Starlight, and ACE commuter trains would run 90 mph in the San Jose-Santa Clara-Fremont-Oakland segment by 2030.

Amtrak Capitol Corridor should reach 18 daily roundtrips and ACE should double to 10 daily roundtrips.

By 2033, BART Metro Rail reaches San Jose Diridon Station. By then, California HSR, Caltrain, Amtrak Capitol Corridor, ACE, Amtrak Coast Starlight, BART Metro Rail, Santa Clara Valley Light Rail, and San Jose Airport Shuttle will likely transfer over 10 million passengers/year at San Jose Diridon Station.

Amtrak San Joaquin and ACE routes only need about 50 Quad Gate Systems for safer railroad crossings to reach 90 mph. When Amtrak San Joaquin trains connect to California HSR Merced Station, their ridership will likely double.

Southern California Regional Rail Benefits Symbiotic With California HSR

Chatsworth-Burbank-LA Union Station-Anaheim-Laguna Niguel-Oceanside-San Diego segment is the most popular within LOSSAN Passenger Rail Corridor. It features Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, Amtrak Coast Starlight, Metrolink Commuter Rail, COASTER Commuter Rail and freight rail operating on a mix of 1-track & 2-track sections that limit train speeds & frequencies.

In Los Angeles and Orange counties, Metrolink SCORE program (video above) is upgrading Chatsworth-Burbank-LA Union Station-Anaheim-Laguna Niguel to at least 2 Track by the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, though that date may slip into 2029.

Currently a terminus, Los Angeles Union Station is adding run-thru tracks to shave 15 minutes from Amtrak and Metrolink trip times south of the station by 2033. At the same time, more capacity and substantial passenger amenities will be added to Los Angeles Union Station.

Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner passengers often transfer at Chatsworth, Van Nuys, Downtown Burbank, Glendale, Los Angeles, Fullerton, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine, San Juan Capistrano, and Oceanside stations. Amtrak Pacific Surfliner will join Metrolink stops at Burbank Airport South and Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs between 2030-33.

Possibly by 2040, LA Metro Light Rail will extend from its Norwalk terminus to Metrolink-Amtrak Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs Station. California HSR Authority will add 7 railroad over/underpasses between Los Angeles and Anaheim that benefit Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner.

Metrolink, Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and COASTER transfer many passengers at Oceanside Station. From Oceanside, COASTER and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner jointly stop at Solana Beach, Old Town, and Downtown San Diego stations.

Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner are transitioning their train fleets to Tier 4 Low Emission locomotives that burn renewable diesel fuel.

Circling back to San Fernando Valley, Van Nuys Station is already a significant Intermodal Transportation Center for Metrolink, Amtrak, Intercity Buses & LAX shuttles.

A new East San Fernando Valley Metro Light Rail line will reach Van Nuys Metrolink-Amtrak Station by 2029-30. An LA Metro Light Metro Rail line is planned to open between Van Nuys Metrolink-Amtrak Station and Wilshire-Westwood Metro Station, possibly by 2037.

To leverage Van Nuys Station for higher ridership, at least 2 railroad over/underpasses, 2 street closures, level boarding platforms, and electric rail infrastructure should be built between Van Nuys Station and Burbank Airport South Station to construct 44 miles of California HSR’s electric infrastructure for 49 total miles of faster, more frequent trains in the Van Nuys-Burbank-Los Angeles-Anaheim corridor segment.

To best manage increased demand, Metrolink-Amtrak infrastructure in Van Nuys-Burbank Airport South-Downtown Burbank-Glendale-Los Angeles corridor should be upgraded by 2037.

One approach to electrify by 2037 is for a Metrolink switch to dual-power locomotives. In that manner, Metrolink can run on non-electrified corridor segment west of Van Nuys and electrified segment headed to Los Angeles Union Station.

The introductory route for Modernized Metrolink by 2037 is illustrated by the heavy green line from Chatsworth to Laguna Niguel on this LA Rail Network Integration Map proposed by LA Metro in 2024. Disclaimer: until more funding is secured by LA Metro, this is only a Vision Map, not a commitment by LA Metro/Metrolink.

In San Diego County, Oceanside-Solana Beach-Old Town-Downtown San Diego corridor shared by COASTER commuter rail, Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, and BNSF freight rail is gradually becoming 2 Tracks, adding Siding Track, and replacing old small bridges.

COASTER has already installed and Positive Train Control and is transitioning its fleet to Tier 4 Low Emission Locomotives as well.

Del Mar Bluffs in northern San Diego County have coastal erosion dangerous to nearby homeowners, often halting Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, COASTER and BNSF operations. The media and public are demanding an inland Del Mar Tunnel by 2034. To fund  it, transportation authorities in San Diego County are requesting federal & state grants and BNSF contribution to combine with their county funds.

For shorter trip times and higher ridership, the corridor also needs a Miramar Tunnel and a University of California at San Diego Tech Center Station. Since it unlikely to receive major funding before Del Mar Tunnel is fully funded, I estimate completion by 2040, coincident with Amtrak Pacific Surliner and COASTER train electrification. Key results from those upgrade projects would enable Oceanside-Solano Beach-Old Town-DT San Diego corridor to reach 90-110 mph over most mileage.

With that combination of upgrades in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties, Pacific Surfliner’s Los Angeles-San Diego Trip Time can reduce from 2 hours 56 minutes in 2021 to 2 hours 25 minutes. Metrolink trains from Chatsworth to Laguna Niguel can increase to 15-minute frequency.

California, Orange County, and San Diego County are already committing over $1.5 billion/7 years towards 2 Main Tracks, small bridge replacements, railroad over/underpasses, street closures, and station upgrades for Amtrak-Metrolink-COASTER service.

BNSF freight rail company is adding more siding track for better on-time performance of military & commercial freight shipments from the Port of San Diego and Orange County. More siding track also enables more passenger trains/hour to pass by.

Santa Fe Depot in Downtown San Diego hosts Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and COASTER trains with a San Diego Trolley station footsteps away and San Diego Cruiseport only 1 block away.

Most freeway widening projects in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties will finish in 2026. That’s opportunity for transportation agencies for California, Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County and BNSF to boost their combined funding to roughly $8 billion/10 years towards Anaheim-Oceanside-San Diego corridor. That should qualify for $8 billion/10 years of federal matching grants.

Then a Del Mar Rail Tunnel, a Miramar Hill Rail Tunnel, and enough railroad over/underpasses can be built in 90% of the corridor by 2037. COASTER could switch to electric trains like Caltrain. Amtrak Pacific Surfliner’s Los Angeles-San Diego trip time would drop to 2 hours 15 minutes.

With more upgrades by 2040, Metrolink and Amtrak Pacific Surfliner should operate on electric power between Chatsworth, Van Nuys, Burbank Airport South, Downtown Burbank, Glendale, LA Union Station, Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs, Fullerton, Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine & Laguna Niguel, then switch to non-electric power between Laguna Niguel, San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente & Oceanside, where they switch back to electric power. Los Angeles-Laguna Niguel segment could rise to 72 daily roundtrips and Los Angeles-Chatsworth segment could rise to 54 daily roundtrips.

Despite upgrades under construction and planned, 13 miles in the corridor will remain a 35-60 mph chokepoint due to 1-track for 2 miles in San Juan Capistrano, followed by 2 tracks for 4 miles in Dana Point, then 1 track again for 7 miles of San Clemente between Capistrano Beach and Trestles Beach.

That 13-mile chokepoint limits Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and Metrolink to a combined 36 daily roundtrips between Laguna Niguel and Oceanside, while Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and COASTER rise to a combined 54 daily roundtrips. BNSF freight rail also requires 4-5 daily roundtrips through the chokepoint. If that tunnel or viaduct in I-5 Freeway corridor is built by 2047, electric Amtrak Pacific Surfliner could cut Los Angeles-San Diego trip time to 2 hours.

Electric Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, Metrolink and COASTER services between Chatsworth and San Diego could reach a combined 90 daily roundtrips and 12-minute frequency for 5X higher ridership than 2019. That will dent traffic congestion on adjacent US 101 and I-5 Freeways.

Brightline West HSR, under construction from Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga, is sparking Metrolink San Bernardino Line (LA Union Station-Pomona-Rancho Cucamonga-San Bernardino) commuters to demand modernization upgrades too. That will happen in California HSR Phase 2.

Summary

These Regional Rail and Commuter Rail milestones that are possible, and likely by 2045:

• Pulse Scheduling of Caltrain by 2027
• Burbank Junction speed & safety upgrade by 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics
• Pulse Scheduling of Metrolink by 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics
• Metrolink SCORE 2-track projects enable higher train frequencies by 2030
• Brightline HSR connecting to Metrolink Rancho Cucamonga Station by 2031
• Los Angeles Union Station run-thru tracks open by 2033
• Caltrain tunnel into San Francisco’s Salesforce Transit Center by 2033
• California HSR connecting to Merced Station and Amtrak San Joaquins by 2033
• BART Metro Rail extends to San Jose & Santa Clara by 2033
• Del Mar Tunnel improves COASTER & Amtrak Pacific Surfliner service by 2035
• Tunnel connects Metro Westwood Station to Metrolink-Amtrak Van Nuys Station by 2037
• San Jose-Gilroy segment electrified by 2038
• California HSR connecting to Caltrain Gilroy Station by 2038
• 20 more Caltrain over/underpasses & street closures by 2039
• California HSR connecting to Metrolink Palmdale Station by 2039
• Miramar Hill Tunnel opens + Modernized COASTER & Amtrak Pacific Surfliner in San Diego County by 2042
• Modernized Amtrak Pacific Surfliner & Metrolink in Chatsworth-Laguna Niguel Corridor by 2042
• 15 more over/underpasses in Caltrain & California HSR corridor by 2045
• Modernized Amtrak Capitol Corridor by 2045

Expansion, modernization and integration between California HSR, Brightline HSR, Modernized Regional & Commuter Rail, and Metro Rail systems will significantly dent highway congestion and slash regional flights.

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