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Additional track will help increase passenger rail frequency and reliability

OAKLAND, CALIF., June 29, 2023— Yesterday, the California Transportation Commission approved $25 million in funds from Solutions for Congested Corridors Program (SCCP) for Placer County Transportation Planning Authority (PCTPA) and the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA), to support Phase 1 of the Sacramento to Roseville 3rd Main Track Project (SR3T).

Phase 1 of the SR3T involves construction work and track improvements that will allow the Capitol Corridor to operate up to three round trips (6 trains) daily between Sacramento and Roseville, increasing service from the current single daily round trip. Once fully completed, the SR3T Phase 1 project will construct approximately 7 miles of third main track and a new layover/servicing facility for Capitol Corridor trains in Roseville.

Following the announcement, CCJPA Board Vice Chair and PCTPA Board Director Bruce Houdesheldt said, “We are grateful to the CTC for this award, which will help build greater connection for Placer County communities to Sacramento and beyond. The two additional Capitol Corridor roundtrips enabled by completion of Phase 1 will triple the current frequency of Capitol Corridor service in the area between Roseville and Sacramento. Expanding transportation options within Placer County is critical for the area, and when this project is fully completed, the improvements will allow for greater frequency and reliability for both freight and passenger operations through the region.”

“Capitol Corridor riders have long awaited additional service in the Placer County area, and we are pleased to get one step closer to realizing the goal of bringing more trains to the region” said Capitol Corridor Managing Director Robert Padgette. “Additional track will help us to run our service more reliably, as it will allow both freight and passenger trains to run through the area.”

The award of SCCP funding represents the last of the state funding share for Phase 1 of the SR3T. The SCCP funding also includes specific improvements for a key phase of the Sacramento Valley Station improvement project. To become fully funded for Phase 1 of this project, CCJPA awaits approximately $43M in Federal funding from one of two nearly identical grant applications made to the Federal Railway Administration (FRA). CCJPA is nearing the 90% design completion and is working to secure additional right-of-way in preparation of entering the construction phase of the project in late 2024.

“With the rapid population growth in South Placer County, these funds are a critical piece that will help bring the much-needed transportation options provided by the Capitol Corridor third main track to Roseville and Placer County. I am thankful to the CTC for this $25,000,000 award,” said CCJPA Board Director Jim Holmes.

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Contacts:

• Priscilla Kalugdan, CCJPA Communications Officer, (510) 464-6992
• Matt Click,  PCTPA Executive Director, (530) 823-4030

About CCJPA and the Capitol Corridor®
Managed by the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA), the Capitol Corridor is an intercity rail service connecting the most economically vibrant urban centers in Northern California – from Sacramento to Silicon Valley, and including San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley. With free Wi-i Fi on board, Capitol Corridor trains provide a convenient, reliable, and comfortable alternative to the congested I-80, I-680, and I-880 freeways for more than 700,000 passengers a year. For more information, visit www.capitolcorridor.org

About PCTPA

Placer County Transportation Planning Agency (PCTPA) is the forum for making decisions about the regional transportation system in Placer County. The decisions made are reflected in PCTPA’s planning and programming of the area’s state and federal transportation funds. In developing and adopting plans and strategies, we not only make the best use of these funds, but also fulfill the requirements of our state designation as the Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) for Placer County.

Link21 hosts several events this month to share new information about train service improvements that Link21 concepts could provide

OAKLAND, CA — Over the past few years, Link21 has heard from community members that better options are needed for travel. Specifically, we have heard about what’s important to community members when taking a train to travel. Service improvements like frequency, travel time, reliability, and convenience rose to the top. With new information available about train service improvements that Link21 concepts could provide, Link21 is engaging with community members throughout the 21-county Northern California Megaregion through several virtual and in-person events.

Online Open House
Join anytime, 24/7, through Friday, July 21 to conveniently participate, whether it’s from the comfort of your own home or even while commuting on the train. Visit Link21Program.org for more details.

Virtual Events
Attend via Zoom to hear a presentation and ask questions of Link21 Team members.

• Tuesday, June 27, 5:30-7:00 p.m. – Community Meeting
• Thursday, June 29, 5:00-6:00 p.m. – Office Hour

In-Person Open Houses
The Link21 Program hosted a series of in-person open houses over the past few weeks in Richmond, San Francisco, and Oakland. Visitors could chat directly with members of the Link21 Team to learn about the Program, ask questions, and share input.

Community engagement and feedback provided at these events will help develop service improvements that best meet the needs of our diverse communities, and allow more people to conveniently travel around the Megaregion. “Northern California is one of the nation’s most dynamic economies, with a wide range of geographic, industrial and cultural diversity,” said Sadie Graham, Link21 Program Director for BART. “In order to ensure Link21 is fulfilling the needs of our communities, we need to meet people where they live, work, and play, and include them in these important conversations.”

Learn More & Register at Link21Program.org/events!
Event materials will be provided in English, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese, and interpretation support in Spanish and Cantonese will be available for live events. To request American Sign Language and other accommodations, email inquiries@Link21Program.org or call 855-905-Link (5465) between one and five days in advance of the meeting date.

About Link21
Link21’s goal is to improve rail travel throughout the Megaregion, giving riders access to destinations across Northern California, which include neighborhoods throughout the Bay area, Sacramento Valley, Monterey Bay and the Northern San Joaquin Valley. Each programmatic concept includes a new underground passenger train crossing of the San Francisco Bay, connecting communities in San Francisco and the Peninsula to the East Bay with more trains and better service.

This long-range transportation program is sponsored by the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit and the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority to transform the passenger rail network serving the 21-county Northern California Megaregion, which includes the greater San Francisco Bay Area, the Monterey Bay area, the Sacramento area, and the Northern San Joaquin Valley.