Concepts

Both train technologies provide equitable outcomes and improve livability with a majority of benefits going to priority populations including enhanced access to community resources, jobs, and new trips for low-income households. 

A majority share of benefits provided by either technology – between 50-63% – go to priority populations, comfortably exceeding the federal Justice40 requirement.  

While both technologies could offer benefits to populations that are transit dependent through increased service, it is important to understand that standard-gauge (Regional Rail) may require improvements at the existing tracks, which could impact communities adjacent to the tracks. This would require mitigation to address these potential impacts. 

Both technologies come with trade-offs in the ways a new crossing will improve connectivity with direct (no transfer) trips, better transfers between systems, and reduced travel times which all could greatly improve the passenger experience.

Megaregional Connections

A critical difference between train technologies is their ability to provide megaregional connectivity – a key challenge Link21 seeks to address. Most importantly, megaregional connectivity is one of the most consistently mentioned benefits that the public wants from Link21.

• Standard-gauge (Regional Rail) connects megaregional destinations and improves both local and regional travel by bringing Urban | Metro service to stations that only have Intercity | Express today
• Broad-gauge (BART) primarily serves local and regional travel enhancing the existing BART Urban | Metro service to existing markets with limited impact on megaregional travel.

Direct Connections

While both greatly increase the number of new direct connections between destinations (one-seat ride without transfers), they each provide very different benefits.

Example Trip

An example trip between Sacramento and San Francisco would be direct with standard-gauge (Regional Rail) in the crossing as compared to the same trip with broad-gauge (BART) in the crossing requiring a transfer between train systems.

Travel Time Savings

A new crossing with Link21 will save travel time and give riders time back in their day to do what they want to do.

• Standard-gauge (Regional Rail) improves travel time significantly along existing rail corridors for long distance trips within the Megaregion and for medium distance trips between the inner East Bay and the Peninsula.
• Broad-gauge (BART) offers reduced wait times for most East Bay BART stations because of greater train frequencies.

There are a number of sample trips shown that demonstrate travel times savings offered with each train technology.

Train technologies differ in their ability to provide interoperability and operational benefits to improve local/megaregional train travel. However, they both enable redundancy for riders within the crossing through service by different operators and amplify the mutual benefits of other planned rail projects and investments.

Amplifying Rail Investments

Partner agencies across the Megaregion are investing in rail infrastructure and service improvements to meet the evolving needs of riders and to help meet the Statewide vision for future rail service. Projects that share the same technology as the crossing result in mutually improved train service, increased frequencies, and ridership.

As the 5th largest megaregional economy in the country, maintaining an efficient transportation network as we grow and evolve is critical in sustaining competitiveness and spurring economic vitality. A reliable rail network that moves goods and people to connect residents with jobs, businesses with employees, students with educational institutions, and everyone to necessary goods, services, and recreation is essential to maintaining our quality of life.

Both technologies improve access of populations within a half mile to stations, and both increase the number of jobs accessible within a one-hour commute. For the general population, the average person has access to about 45,000 more jobs within a one-hour commute, while in priority population areas, the average person has access to about 80,000 more jobs within a one-hour commute.

Improved Access to Stations

Link21 will create opportunity for more residents to ride trains for travel by increasing access to stations. Analysis of concepts demonstrate that:

• Standard-gauge provides approximately 37,000 people access to stations within ½ mile
• Broad-gauge provides approximately 28,000 people access to stations within ½ mile

There are several considerations that will continue to be assessed as the program moves forward but are not driving the decision of train technology in the crossing today. Some areas that will be more refined as the Project is further defined include ridership opportunities and cost. These, along with funding source availability and future governance will continue to be identified as Link21 advances.

Evolving Considerations:

Ridership:

• Potential new ridership generated by either technology will depend on station locations, service levels, and market served
• Ridership will continue to evolve as the Project is defined

Cost:

• Initial cost estimates for Link21 based on 1-2% design show that the new crossing infrastructure (e.g., tunneling, portals, and track systems) is comparable in costs: $18-$30B.

• Where costs will differ is in the need for additional infrastructure to connect the crossing with the wider rail network:

  • Standard-gauge = $15-25B estimate – higher cost due to the limited standard-gauge network, which stems from a history of low investments in Northern California’s standard-gauge network
  • Broad-gauge = $5-10B estimate

  NOTE: Some improvement investments could be delivered by other agencies

Funding:

• Link21 will require local/state/federal funding which can be highly competitive
  • Standard-gauge has opportunity to secure funding from both the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
    • FRA has new Corridor Identification & Development Program that creates a pipeline of projects for prioritized funding - $102B in rail funding
    • Link21 is identified as part of one of six corridors within the State’s Corridor Identification Program sponsored by the FRA
  • Broad-gauge is limited to FTA funding and could compete with other BART funding needs

Governance:

• Standard-gauge requires increased interagency involvement and new governance
  • Example: Host railroad engagement on changes proposed within their ​right-of-way (Union Pacific Railroad, Caltrain)