Bridge Work to Disrupt San Joaquins

Bridge work being conducted by host railroad BNSF will disrupt some Amtrak San Joaquin Service this weekend.

On Oct. 29, Train 719 will terminate at Stockton. Bus 4119 will provide alternate transportation for Train 719 between Stockton and Oakland-Jack London Square, making intermediate stops at Antioch, Martinez, Richmond and Emeryville.

On Oct. 30, Trains 710, 711 and 712, will originate/terminate at Stockton, operating between Stockton and Bakersfield only.

Buses will provide alternate transportation for Trains 710, 711 and 712, between Martinez and Stockton, excluding Antioch.

Trains 720, 724 and 737 will provide alternate transportation between Oakland and Martinez, making intermediate stops at Emeryville and Richmond.

In a service advisory, Amtrak said passengers traveling to or from Antioch may use other San Joaquins service on this day.

California Accepts Delivery of Venture Cars

The California Department of Transportation has accepted from Siemens Mobility 49 Venture cars that will be used for Bakersfield-Oakland/Sacramento San Joaquin trains.

Amtrak will be inspecting the equipment before it is placed in revenue service, which officials said is likely several months away.

Before the cars can begin service, the various parties involved in operating the trains must reach agreements on insurance liability.

The San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority, operator of the San Joaquins, has chosen Herzog Contracting. to service the new equipment at Stockton.

Herzog has a maintenance facility there to maintain equipment for Altamont Commuter Express.

In total Siemens is building 137 Venture cars for use in Amtrak corridor services.

California will have 28 coaches, 14 vending food-service cars, and seven cab coaches.

The vending cars are expected to begin revenue service in 2023 while the cab coaches will begin service by 2024.

Some Venture coaches have already begun operating in corridor services in Illinois, Michigan, and Missouri.

The first of the Venture cars began revenue service late last winter between Chicago and St. Louis but were removed from service due to various mechanical issues.

Venture equipment has since been assigned to Midwest corridor routes in the Midwest.

The Venture cars initially arrived at Amtrak in summer 2020 to begin undergoing testing.

Until Venture food service cars arrive, Amtrak has been assigning Horizon and Amfleet I food service cars to Midwest corridor trains using Venture coaches.

The Venture food service cares being built for Midwest service will have a cafe configuration similar to Horizon and Amfleet food-service cars and will have a business class section.

Stockton Ticket Office Temporarily Closed

The Amtrak ticket office in Stockton, California, has temporarily closed.

In a service advisory, Amtrak said passengers will continue to have access to boarding platforms and the station.

The advisory did not say why the ticket office closed or when it is expected to reopen.

Passengers are being encouraged to wait in their personal vehicles or to be dropped off rather than waiting for trains outdoors.

Stockton is served by Amtrak’s San Joaquin Service trains

San Joquins to Stop for Baseball Game

San Joaquin Trains 711 and 718 will make extra stops on Aug. 7 to accommodate fans attending a Major League Baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland As.

The trains will terminate and originate from Oakland Coliseum, beyond the normal start and end point of the Oakland Jack London station to serve passengers attending the game.

San Joaquins to Make Added Stop in Allensworth

Amtrak will add a special stop in Allensworth, California, by select San Joaquin trains on Feb. 12 for the city’s Black History Month celebration.

In a service advisory, Amtrak said the event will be held at Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Trains 702, 713, 714, 717 and 719 will stop in Allensworth to accommodate passengers attending the event.

The schedule of stops in Allenworth is Train 713 to Oakland arrives 8:54 a.m.; Train 702 Bakersfield arrives 10:56 a.m.; Train 717 to Oakland arrives 2:54 p.m.; Train 719 to Oakland arrives 4:54 p.m.; and Train 714 to Bakersfield arrives 4:55 p.m.

For more information on this event, visit https://www.friendsofallensworth.org/ or https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=583

2 San Joaquins to be Reinstated

Two San Joaquin trains will be reinstated effective June 28. Also being revived are Amtrak Thruway connections to those trains.

Being reinstated are Trains 714 and 717 operating between Oakland Jack London Square and Bakersfield, California.

The Thruway connections for those trains are RT 1 between Bakersfield and Los Angeles; RT 3 between Davis, Sacramento and Stockton; and RT 99 between Emeryville and San Francisco.

Public Comment Sought on Revised California High-Speed Business Plan

The California High Speed Rail Authority is seeking public comment on a revised draft of its 2020 business plan to complete construction of high-speed rail service in the Central Valley.

The draft report outlines a plan to complete the project while highlighting progress to get high-speed trains running in California as soon as possible.

The report supports the Authority’s earlier decision to develop an electrified Merced-Fresno-Bakersfield high-speed rail interim-service line in the Central Valley, while continuing to advance environmental reviews and current investments in local and regional infrastructure projects in Northern and Southern California.

Authority and state officials also expressed optimism that the Biden administration will be supportive of the high-speed plan.

That would be a change from the position of the Trump administration, which canceled federal funding for the project and sought to claw back some federal funding already spent on it.

Acting FRA Administrator Amit Bose said a recent statement that the U.S. Department of Transportation “looks forward to partnering with California” on high-speed rail.”

The original plan for the California high-speed rail project was to build between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

But cost increases and project delays have led to changes. The Authority now is looking to complete the 119-mile Central Valley construction segment and lay track pursuant to the state’s federal-funding grant agreements with the FRA.

It also is eyeing expanding the Central Valley segment to 171 miles of electrified high-speed rail, connecting Merced-Fresno-Bakersfield and to begin testing electrified high-speed trains by 2026-2027.

Those trains would be placed into service by the end of that decade.

As for serving San Francisco and Los Angeles, the authority wants to environmentally clear all segments of the Phase 1 system between two cities and advance construction on “bookend” projects that the authority has committed funding to in the LA and Bay areas.

It said it will pursue additional funding to close the gaps and expand the service to the Bay Area and LA as soon as possible.

The Authority Board recently agreed to seek $4.1 billion in state bonds authorized by voters 12 years ago.

Construction that is now underway is projected to cost $330 million more than was anticipated.

Track construction is now projected to last through 2023, a year later than what was projected last year.

In an effort to cut costs, service may begin on a single-track railroad with passing sidings and leased equipment.

Officials say double tracking would need to be completed before the San Francisco Bay Area is linked to the line with 220-mph trains.

Connections would be made at Merced to extended Amtrak’s San Joaquin service and Altamont Corridor Express commuter into the Central Valley from the Bay Area and Sacramento.

Stockton Waiting Room Temporarily Closed

The Amtrak station waiting room in Stockton, California, is temporarily closed.

In a service advisory, Amtrak said trains will continue to stop at the station and passengers will have access to boarding platforms.

However, passengers will not have access to the inside of the station or restrooms.

Amtrak did not give a reason for the closing or indicate how long it would last.

Stockton is served by Amtrak’s San Joaquin Service trains.

Station Development Begins in Oakley, California

Construction of a platform to serve Amtrak has begun in Oakley, California.

The project is for a 700-foot that will serve San Joaquin Service trains and is expected to be completed in 2022.

Passengers boarding in the Contra Costa County city of 35,000 will be able to reach Oakland less than an hour.

Station Lobbies Reopen on San Joaquin Route

The lobbies of stations located on Amtrak’s San Joaquins corridor have reopened.

Passengers may now enter the stations to buy tickets, check bags, and await their connections indoors.  

Stations affected and their hours are Bakersfield, 3:45 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Emeryville 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Fresno, 5:45 a.m. to 6:15 p.m.; Hanford, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Oakland, 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Martinez, 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Merced, 10:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Modesto, 7:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; Stockton, 8:10 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.; and Sacramento, 5 a.m. to midnight.

The stations had closed last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Those venturing inside the stations will be required to wear a facial mask and observe social distancing rules.

Cash will not be accepted as payment for tickets.