Valley Rail (ACE)
Valley Rail is a project to expand Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) and Amtrak California San Joaquins commuter rail services, divided into several segments which include two service extensions from Stockton to Sacramento and Merced, station improvements, and grade separation of the Stockton Diamond.
The ACEforward project was initiated in 2013 to expand ridership by improving service reliability and frequency on the existing route between Stockton and San Jose, and by extending the route east from Stockton to Merced; during its development, financial and logistical challenges were identified which precluded operating more trains on the existing segment, and the Valley Rail project replaced ACEforward in 2017, initially focusing on the eastern extension to Merced.
[3]: 2–2, 2–7, 2–9 Several new stations will be constructed and the line will be double-tracked, extending the eastern ACE terminus to Merced, where a new layover facility would be added.
[3]: 2–10 [4]: 3–3 Under the initial operating plans, four trains would start at Merced (Ceres after the first phase) in the mornings, traveling to North Lathrop, with a timed transfer stop for passengers continuing westbound to San Jose.
Three or four return trains would be provided from North Lathrop to Merced (Ceres) in the afternoons, timed to allow transfers for passengers eastbound from San Jose.
Full implementation of ACEforward was estimated at US$9.7 billion,[8] a significant financial burden; in addition, logistical and coordination challenges to expanding service were identified.
[9]: 1–1 The draft and final environmental impact reports (EIR) for the first segment of the Merced Extension (covering the route from Lathrop to Ceres) was released in 2018.
[22] ACE service connects Stockton Downtown/Cabral with San Jose Diridon station via the Fresno, Oakland, Niles, and Coast subdivisions, incorporating the former Feather River Route through Altamont Pass.
[11]: 5–1 In addition, approximately 51 mi (82 km) of the Fresno Subdivision from Manteca to Merced would be double-tracked, in some cases upgrading existing siding tracks to mainline service.
[12]: 2–13 [3]: 2–10 When the first segment of the Merced Extension is complete, the initial plans are to operate four daily roundtrip trains between Ceres and North Lathrop, starting from Ceres in the mornings, with most continuing westbound passengers transferring to San Jose-bound trains (originating from Stockton) at North Lathrop.
