Capitol Corridor To Expand Train Service To And From Roseville

Commuter train service to and from Placer County is expected to increase tenfold in the coming years.

Capitol Corridor's 2019-20 business plan announced Tuesday calls for starting work on an 18-mile stretch of track between Sacramento and Roseville. Currently the Roseville station only has one round trip per day. Two additional trains are planned to serve the route by 2024, with a total of 10 round trips by 2027. Called the "Third Track" project, it’s expected to cost at least $275 million.

Jim Allison, the project's planning manager, said it will take several years based on funding and other factors.

"It is very difficult to work in a right-of-way that you don't own and you have to meet standards and safety standards and make sure the design is optimized for allowing freight operations but also safe passenger operations," he said.

Capitol Corridor commuter trains run between San Jose and Auburn. The service is run by the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Board (CCJPA), which consists of two representatives from each of the eight counties along the route. It's funded by the state of California and works closely with Union Pacific and Amtrak.

The service saw a 6 percent increase in ridership last year, as more Bay Area residents moved into the Sacramento region.

In addition to the Third Track project, CCJPA is also planning to double the number of trains serving San Jose while decreasing the travel time between Emeryville and Diridon Stations. The plan calls for changing the current route to one that is more direct.

Capitol Corridor started in 1991 and has become the third-busiest passenger rail service in the United States.