Altamont Corridor Express

Altamont Corridor Express
Altamont Corridor Express train climbing its namesake Altamont Pass
Altamont Corridor Express train climbing its namesake Altamont Pass
Overview
OwnerSan Joaquin Regional Rail Commission
Area servedSan Joaquin Valley, Tri-Valley and Silicon Valley
Transit typeCommuter rail
Number of stations10
Daily ridership3,000 (weekdays, Q2 2024)[1]
Annual ridership576,300 (2023)[2]
HeadquartersRobert J. Cabral Station
Stockton, California
Websiteacerail.com
Operation
Began operationOctober 19, 1998; 26 years ago (1998-10-19)[3]
Operator(s)Herzog Transit Services
Reporting marksACEX[4]
Infrastructure manager(s)Union Pacific (Stockton–Santa Clara)
Caltrain (Santa Clara–San Jose)
Number of vehicles10 locomotives, 30 passenger cars
Train length1–2 locomotives, 4–8 passenger cars
Technical
System length85 mi (137 km)
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Average speed39 mph (63 km/h)
Top speed79 mph (127 km/h)
System map
Map Altamont Corridor Express highlighted in purple
Bus interchange
Bus connection to
Sacramento Airport
Natomas/Sacramento Airport
Old North Sacramento (2029)
SacRT light rail
Midtown Sacramento
(SacRT light rail)
City College (2029)
SacRT light rail
Elk Grove
Lodi (2027)
ACE service facility
Stockton
Amtrak
Valley Rail
(2026/2030)
Valley Rail
(2026/2030)
North Lathrop (2027)
Manteca Transit Center
Ripon (2027)
Modesto
Ceres
layover facility
bus bridge
Phase 1 (2026)
 
Turlock (2029)
 
Phase 2 (2030)
Livingston
Atwater
(option)
Layover and
maintenance facility
Merced CAHSR
Lathrop/Manteca
Tracy
Vasco Road
Livermore
Pleasanton
Union City
Bay Area Rapid Transit (planned)
Fremont
Amtrak
Amtrak (planned)
Santa Clara–
Great America
Amtrak Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
Santa Clara
Caltrain Amtrak San Jose International Airport
San Jose
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Caltrain Amtrak
Down arrow
Caltrain to Tamien
Coast Starlight to Los Angeles

Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible

The Altamont Corridor Express (also known as ACE, formerly Altamont Commuter Express) is a commuter rail service in California, connecting Stockton and San Jose during peak hours only. ACE is named for the Altamont Pass, through which it runs.[5] Service is managed by the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, and operations are contracted to Herzog Transit Services.[5] The 86-mile (138 km) route includes ten stops, with travel time about 2 hours and 12 minutes end-to-end. In 2023, the line had a ridership of 576,300, or about 3,000 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024. ACE uses Bombardier BiLevel Coaches, MPI F40PH-3C locomotives, and Siemens Charger locomotives.

Service began on October 19, 1998, with two weekday round trips. A third round trip was added in May 2001, followed by a fourth round trip in October 2012. Saturday service commenced in September 2019. As of 2018, average weekday ridership was 5,900.[6]

The tracks are owned by Union Pacific Railroad, previously built along the Western Pacific Railroad main line. Under the ACEforward program, a number of improvements to the service are being considered. These include a rerouted line through Tracy, an extension to Modesto and Merced, and connections to BART at Union City and Tri-Valley.

  1. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  2. ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference acehistory was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "AAR Railroad Reporting Marks (2015)". Railserve. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Solomon, Brian (2013). North American Railroad Family Trees : An Infographic History of the Industry's Mergers and Evolution. Minneapolis, MN: Voyageur Press. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-7603-4488-0.
  6. ^ "Transit Ridership Report: Second Quarter 2018" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. August 24, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 4, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.