Capitol Corridor's stimulus-funded improvement projects now completed

Union Pacific Railroad crews have completed the Yolo Causeway West Crossover project, marking the end of several federal stimulus-funded projects on the Capitol Corridor route, the Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority (CCJPA) announced this week.

On April 14, UP crews finished the Yolo project, which will allow trains to better utilize the existing double track in both directions on the Yolo Causeway between the Sacramento and Davis, Calif., stations, CCJPA officials said in a prepared statement. Since it is one of UP's busier freight corridors, the route will benefit passenger-train reliability by enabling Capitol Corridor trains to pass freight trains, they said.

"After the improvements, the Capitol Corridor trains operating along this corridor will become more competitive as an alternative to driving on the congested highway corridors due to improved service performance and reduced delays," said CCJPA Chairman Jim Spering.

The project received $5 million from the Federal Railroad Administration from an obligation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's (ARRA) High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program. It was one of three "shovel ready" projects for which Capitol Corridor received federal funds in December 2011. Construction began in August 2012.