Valley Link

This article is about a proposed California rail line from the San Francisco Bay Area to the San Joaquin Valley. For other similarly named rail services, see Valley Rail.
Valley Link
Overview
StatusIn planning
OwnerTri-Valley–San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority
LocaleTri-Valley/Northern San Joaquin Valley
Termini
Stations4
Websitehttps://www.valleylinkrail.com/
Service
TypeCommuter rail[1][2]
Operator(s)San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission
Depot(s)Mountain House Operations and Maintenance Facility
Rolling stockZero-emission hydrogen trainsets[3][4][5]
History
Planned opening2035 (2035)
Technical
Line length26[6] mi (42 km)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Route map

Legend
future phase to
North Lathrop
Mountain House Operations
and Maintenance Facility
 Mountain House Community
San Joaquin County
Alameda County
Altamont Corridor Express
Altamont Pass through
the Diablo Range
I-580 (1961).svg I-580
Altamont Corridor Express
 Southfront Road
Isabel
Dublin/Pleasanton
Bay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit
to Daly City
This diagram:

Valley Link is a proposed 26-mile-long (42 km) commuter rail[1][2] service in Northern California, which seeks to connect the rapid transit Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system in the San Francisco Bay Area with the northern San Joaquin Valley via the Tri-Valley region.[7] Since 1997, BART's Blue Line's eastern terminus is at Dublin/Pleasanton station on the border of Dublin and Pleasanton. Valley Link seeks to extend rail service east from here into the northern San Joaquin Valley over Altamont Pass, which would help alleviate traffic congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions on Interstate 580 (I-580). The project resulted from various failed proposals to extend the Blue Line east to Livermore.[8]

The line would run within the median of Interstate 580 (I-580), right-of-way of the first transcontinental railroad owned by Alameda County, and new right-of-way in San Joaquin County.[6] It is being planned by the Tri-Valley–San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority, a special-purpose district body formed for the sole purpose of its planning. Valley Link is ultimately planned to run between Dublin/Pleasanton station and the Altamont Corridor Express’s (ACE) future North Lathrop station utilizing standard-gauge zero-emission hydrogen trainsets.[3][4][5] However, currently, only the initial operating phase between Dublin/Pleasanton station and Mountain House Community station near the community of Mountain House in the San Joaquin Valley, with the segment from Mountain House to North Lathrop being reserved for future planning. This segment, which includes new stations at Isabel Avenue, Southfront Road, and Mountain House, is currently undergoing engineering and environmental review and design, with construction expected to begin as early as 2025 and end as early as 2035.

  1. ^ a b Goodrich, Juliette (November 7, 2023). "East Bay News Livermore Mayor John Marchand hopes proposed commuter rail line can connect BART with San Joaquin Valley". CBS News. CBS News and Stations. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "San Joaquin One Voice Project Request Valley Link Commuter Rail Project". San Joaquin Council of Governments. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Hydrogen Feasibility Study". Valley Link Rail. Tri-Valley–San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Valley Link Advances Vision to be Nation's First Passenger Rail System to Operate on Self-Produced Green Hydrogen Fuel" (PDF). Valley Link Rail. Tri-Valley–San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Transportation's next frontier: Building the nation's first passenger rail system powered with green hydrogen". San Francisco Business Journal. American City Business Journals. August 31, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Get Valley Linked!". Valley Link Rail Project. Tri-Valley–San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  7. ^ "AB-758 Transportation: Tri-Valley–San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority". Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  8. ^ Baldassari, Erin (May 24, 2018). "BART rejects Livermore expansion; mayor vows rail connection". East Bay Times. Retrieved May 25, 2018.