# Improvements for LOSSAN service (Metrolink/Coaster/Amtrak California)?



## beautifulplanet (Feb 2, 2014)

Hello everyone,

is anybody here an expert on the improvements planned in the LOSSAN corridor?

So far, it seems like a lot of different information is out there, and so far I don't really seem to be able to create an actual up-to-date picture of it, what improvements are already being implemented, or definitely will be soon, and which plans are just proposals that may likely never materialize.

As the Pacific Surfliner uses that corridor, as well, maybe one could have posted this question in a different sub-category as well, but as the commuter service seems to have more riders on this route (Metrolink Orange County line circa 3 million annually, Metrolink Ventura line about a million, Coaster circa 2 million, while the Pacific Surfliner has 2.7 million), it seemed like the Commuter Rail forum would be the right one.

F.e. this link says:
"During the next 20 years, SANDAG plans to construct nearly $1 billion in improvements in the San Diego County section, including a primary effort to double track the corridor from Orange County to downtown San Diego. To date, approximately half of the San Diego corridor has been double tracked. Other infrastructure improvements include bridge and track replacements, new platforms, pedestrian undercrossings, and other safety and operational enhancements."

http://www.keepsandiegomoving.com/lossan/lossan-intro.aspx

Nearly $1 billion sounds like a lot, but it is spread out over 20 years, still that's 50$ million a year.

Then, f.e. there is the "LOSSAN Corridorwide STRATEGIC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN", a nearly 300-page document, including in chapter 3.3. on page 33 a "2030 Preferred Service Plan" (version 1).

That shows a very promising increase in passenger service (baseline vs. 2030 version 1):

- Commuter (LOSSAN South) services increasing from 64 to 142
- Commuter (LOSSAN North) services incrasing from 61 to 90
- Pacific Surfliner Intercity services increasing from 22 to 36
- Amtrak Long Distance services increasing from 4 to 6

Then it lists concrete construction projects for improving the corridor, and which ones supposedly are already funded and which ones are not.

Found here: http://www.octa.net/pdf/projectid_260_14371.pdf

Finally, there is the 2013 California State Rail Plan.

Chapter 8.8 starting on the page 213, is called "Pacific Surfliner Capital Projects".

Once again, it lists all the individual improvement measures. Most of the near-term ones (2013 to 2015) seem to be funded. Also a selected few of the "mid-term" (starting 2016, did not know midterm starts so soon  ) already seem to be funded, while all of the "long-term" (2021-2040) are not.

Document available here:

http://californiastaterailplan.dot.ca.gov/docs/Final_Copy_2013_CSRP.pdf

So what does all of that mean concretely then?

What time savings can be obtained with the improvements that are already funded?

When will construction on those be finished?

How likely is it that more improvements will be implemented?

Is there anything known yet about the possibility to increase service like mentioned in that scenario above?

In case anyone knows how to make sense of all this,

I'd appreciate any replies.


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## Nathanael (Feb 3, 2014)

It's all rather vague.

The basic long-term plan is as follows:

(1) Double track from Fullerton to San Diego. This requires lots and lots of bridge replacements.

(2) Triple or quadruple track from Fullerton to LA Union Station, to separate passenger and freight traffic as much as possible.

(3) Bypass of Miramar Airbase in a tunnel under La Jolla. This may never happen. :-( This is going to be stuck as single-track until everything else is done, probably.

(4) "Hardening" of the grade crossings -- grade separation, closure, 4-quadrant gates, etc.

(5) Mild improvements in track geometry

The eventual plan is to increase the speeds (top speed to 90 or 110 mph IIRC) and frequencies (to the levels noted). The double-tracking should allow for much higher frequencies with much higher reliability, but this will only really arrive when it's all done.

The LOSSAN agencies, and the State of California, have been nibbling away at this project a couple of miles at a time -- a bridge here, an extension of double track there. Basically as enivronmental paperwork is finished and local "buy-in" is obtained and funding is obtained, it's one little project after another.

The various other improvements generally go along with the multi-tracking, so you can usually assume that a double-tracked segment south of Fullerton, or a triple-tracked segment north of Fullerton, is "done". I, like you, have had trouble keeping track of which bits are done (double-tracked) and which bits are not done.


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## Paulus (Feb 4, 2014)

Updated list of current LOSSAN capital projects can be found about halfway through this document.



Nathanael said:


> (3) Bypass of Miramar Airbase in a tunnel under La Jolla. This may never happen. :-( This is going to be stuck as single-track until everything else is done, probably.


Currently being doubled tracked actually (the Sorrento to Miramar project), though it's still a fairly slow bit (25mph for a few miles).I'm not sure that tunnel is still a going concern though.


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## beautifulplanet (Feb 5, 2014)

Paulus said:


> Currently being doubled tracked actually (the Sorrento to Miramar project), though it's still a fairly slow bit (25mph for a few miles).I'm not sure that tunnel is still a going concern though.


Is that 25mph for a few miles just now because of construction/double-tracking, or will that section be 25mph for a few miles still after all the double tracking and construction is finished?


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## Trogdor (Feb 5, 2014)

It's 25 mph because of the curves and grade. Double-tracking won't change that.


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## CHamilton (Mar 8, 2014)

What will and what should happen for Rail in San Diego


> There is 60 miles of passenger railroad in San Diego County from the Orange County border to the Santa Fe Depot in downtown San Diego. Right now just over half of this 60 miles is doubled tracked. San Diego County is planning to spend a billion dollars over the next 20 years to double track roughly 97 percent of this railroad in the county. This is the result of public demand 3 years ago when planning began to rebuild and widen the I-5 in north San Diego County. The public wanted more rail service and much less widening of the freeway. So now freeway improvements, double tracking and wetlands restoration are all part of the same project.


Project details discussed in the original article.


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## MIrailfan (Mar 21, 2014)

double track will mean more Coaster trains and Metrolinks. Hopefully pull more cars off the roads.


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## George Harris (Mar 22, 2014)

Quite a few years ago there was a plan to double track the line throughout and electrify the line. The NIMBY screams were deafening. The electrification would be a visual blight. The extra track would be an environmental nightmare, blah, blah, blah. Additional trains would increase air pollution, noise pollution, etc., etc. As a consequence the plan was dropped and basically turned into a "stealth" additional track program of siding lengthening and sometimes connecting sidings to give short sections of double track.

It sounds like the worm has now turned. and the anti-highway crowd's noise is drowning out the anti-train crowd's ranting and raving.


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## MIrailfan (May 2, 2014)

I think boring a tunnel through Miramar would a cut travel time and b create jobs.


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## George Harris (May 2, 2014)

MIRAILFAN said:


> I think boring a tunnel through Miramar would a cut travel time and b create jobs.


About 2 miles long under or parallel to I 5. Have not scaled it out, but that should reduce the distance by about 5 miles adn probably reduce run time by about 10 minutes.

For info: The speed limit already is 90 mph south of Fullerton where the alignment permits. The problem is how much of the alignment does not permit. Raising the speed limit to 110 mph does not cure the slower locations, nor the all the way around the barn exit from LAUS.


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