Santa Cruz rail project price tag rises to $4.3 billion

Santa Cruz rail project costs $4.3 billion to revive 22 miles between Santa Cruz and Pajaro and extend 12 miles of Coastal Rail Trail, a June 6 draft summary shows. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Funding Details of the Santa Cruz rail project

Planners earmark $1.96 billion for track work, sidings, signals, grade crossings, and positive train control. Bridge work absorbs nearly $1 billion, while land and ten Stadler FLIRT trainsets add $1.04 billion, leaving a $1.3 billion contingency.

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Annual operating costs range from $34 million to $41 million because labor contracts are unsettled and hydrogen propulsion boosts maintenance bills. Ten two-car trainsets will couple into four-car formations at peaks and recharge or refuel overnight.

Ridership Outlook for the Santa Cruz rail project

Forecasts put weekday ridership at 3,500–6,000, with slightly lower weekend demand. Trains will run every 30 minutes from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., permit overnight freight, and could later reach San Francisco via a federal program.

Public outreach begins June 9 with a virtual workshop on costs and ridership, and commissioners will review the executive summary on June 12. Votes on environmental clearance and funding applications could follow later this year.

Source: www.trains.com

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