Altamont Corridor Express extension in Calif. receives second environmental clearance
Written by RT&S Staff
Maryland officials have rejected a proposal to build a new rail tunnel underneath the city of Baltimore.
The Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) extension project in California just received a significant stamp of approval.
The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission has approved the final environmental impact report for the section covering Turlock to Merced.
The recent approval follows the OK in the fall for stations in Manteca, Ripon, Modesto, and Ceres. Design work has already started for those stops. The ACE will commute residents to Silicon Valley and the Bay Area.
Train service in Ceres could begin as early as 2023, while some other stops will not be active until 2025.
Turlock Interim City Manager Sarah Eddy said the rail service would provide an important new dimension in Turlock’s ongoing efforts to promote economic development and provide a better quality of life for residents.
Approximately $1 billion in grant funding has been awarded for the ACE extension project, which is an offspring of the passage of Measure L in 2016 and SB 1 in 2017. The project is relying on the use of portions of existing track owned by Union Pacific.
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