Brady PieperSanta Cruz County, California, is providing an update to a nearly $1 billion rail plan seeking to provide passenger rail service and multimodal transportation options to residents.
The update, unveiled during the county’s Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) meeting earlier this month, estimates it will be necessary to replace 28 bridges and repair five others to support the Zero Emission Passenger Rail and Trail Project (ZEPRT), which intends to develop intercity rail service along the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line.
The estimated $980 million project, which is in the conceptual design stage, focuses on addressing the county’s aging rail infrastructure in preparation for new intercity passenger rail service and multi-use trails.
RTC expects to pursue federal, state and local funding to advance the ZEPRT initiative. However, project officials state that federal funding freezes, imposed on the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, will affect how the project receives funding, especially as ZEPRT would likely be supported under the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure program.
The proposed project would include establishing a 22-mile passenger rail line connecting the city of Santa Cruz to Pajaro, just south of Watsonville. Designed with new stations in heavily populated areas, the service would offer more efficient transit options, reduce reliance on congested roadways and contribute to the interoperability of the Union Pacific Railroad’s line in Watsonville.
The new bridge structures would be developed in adherence with freight railroad industry standards and other considerations, such as the State Rail Plan. As larger passenger locomotives operate similarly to freight, these new bridges would allow RTC options when considering which trains to purchase and implement.
Complementing the rail service, RTC proposes the development of an approximately 12-mile-long multi-use bicycle and pedestrian path on the Coastal Rail Trail. The proposed trail would provide increased connectivity and safety to residents in Rio del Mar, La Selva Beach, Watsonville and an option for West Beach Street.
The completion of the ZEPRT project, including the passenger rail and multi-use trail portions, is anticipated to connect key destinations within Santa Cruz County, promote sustainable and efficient travel through a zero-emissions rail line and offer strategically planned service to areas within one mile of over 90 parks and 40 schools.
Despite progress in the project schedule, RTC will continue alternative analysis and preliminary engineering processes and the environmental analysis stage until 2027, when the project is expected to be approved. During this process, RTC will finalize a draft project concept report, preliminary cost estimates and next steps for project development.
If the project is approved, the county and regional partners will advance right of way acquisitions and final designs before initial construction in 2032.
Notably, as the plan is conceptual, project timelines, details and funding estimates are subject to change based on ongoing planning efforts and community feedback. RTC will announce additional updates as ZEPRT progresses.
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