Public Comment Period Now Open Regarding Track Improvements, New Station Buildout, and Increased Passenger Rail Service through Bay Area, San Joaquin, Sacramento Corridors
The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC) Valley Rail Sacramento Extension Project has today released its draft EIR which gives us a better look at the proposed North Natomas/Sacramento Airport station and maintenance facility proposed for the Elkhorn Blvd and East Levee Road area. This begins a 45-day public comment period where stakeholders should review the document’s discussion of environmental issues associated with the proposed project and provide comments.
The Valley Rail project is a rail line extension that implements two new daily round-trips for the Amtrak San Joaquins service to better connect San Joaquin Valley travelers with the Sacramento Area, as well as an extension of the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) between Sacramento and Merced. The project would expand rail services to the greater Sacramento area through the construction of six new rail stations and track improvements along the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) Sacramento Subdivision train tracks.
The proposed project would also increase connectivity within the Central Valley, including Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, and Fresno counties; the Bay Area; and the greater California rail network via two future high-speed rail (HSR) connections in Merced and San Jose.
Phase one includes the Natomas/Sacramento Airport Station. which would be constructed on an 8.4-acre site along the east side of Blacktop Road just south of West Elkhorn Boulevard. Access to the station would be provided via Blacktop Road. The site proposed for Natomas/Sacramento Airport Station is currently developed with commercial/industrial uses. Shuttle services to and from Sacramento International Airport would be provided and timed to meet all incoming and departing trains.
The Natomas/Sacramento Airport Station would also include layover tracks south of the platform to accommodate ACE and Amtrak train layovers between service runs. The layover tracks would accommodate four trains (plus one train layover at the station platform). The tracks would also allow for interior train cleaning during layovers. Employee access to the layover tracks would be from an access road that would be constructed west of the proposed tracks.
The EIR estimates a 12 month schedule for construction on and around Elkhorn Blvd at Blacktop road.
Phase two includes the construction of a maintenance and layover facility proposed on a 125-acre site west of the Union Pacific Right-of-Way and east of Levee Road on both sides of West Elkhorn Boulevard, the construction of a new West Elkhorn Boulevard overpass to cross the maintenance and layover facility and the existing Union Pacific at-grade crossing, and the expansion of the Natomas/Sacramento Airport Station passenger parking lot.
The sites proposed for the Phase II improvements are currently occupied by a number of privately owned industrial parcels. In order to accommodate the facility, a grade separation (overpass) of West Elkhorn Boulevard would be constructed for vehicles to pass over the proposed facility. The West Elkhorn Boulevard Overpass would begin just west of West 6th Street and extend over the UPRR tracks and the facility before dropping back to grade just west of Levee Road. Access to the Natomas Maintenance and Layover Facility (and the Natomas/Sacramento Airport Station) would be provided via a ramp connection along Blacktop Road to the new West Elkhorn Boulevard
Overpass. As part of Phase II, the Natomas/Sacramento Airport Station parking lot would be expanded onto a 4-acre site south of the station to provide an additional 260 parking spaces.
Phase two improvements have not been funded at this time and the location of the proposed Natomas Maintenance and Layover Facility is subject to change.
Of particular interest to Rio Linda is the proposed West Elkhorn Boulevard Overpass which would extend along West Elkhorn Boulevard from West 6th Street to just west of Levee Road.
Construction durations for phase two are not given.
Currently, there are three meetings tentatively scheduled to allow public presentation and discussion of the EIR:
- Thursday, April 23, 2020 at 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Located at the North Natomas Community Room
- Tuesday, April 28, 2020 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Located at the Midtown Community Association
- Monday, May 11, 2020 at 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Located at Laguna Town Hall in Elk Grove
Written responses and comments on the DEIR of the Valley Rail Sacramento Extension Project are encouraged and will be accepted until 5:00 PM on May 15, 2020.
Comments may be sent via email to ace.sacramentoextension@gmail.com, or via mail to:
San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission
Attn: Valley Rail Sacramento Extension DEIR
949 E. Channel Street
Stockton, CA 95202
Please include “Valley Rail Sacramento Extension DEIR” in the subject heading for emailed comments.
A copy of the Draft Environmental Impact Report (including all appendices) can be found on the project website at www.acerail.com or www.sjjpa.com.
