NCTD outlines LOSSAN rail expansion plan

The North County Transit District (NCTD) yesterday released a study outlining its plan to expand passenger- and freight-rail services along the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) rail corridor in California.

The "San Diego Pathing Study" final report consolidates passenger- and freight-rail service needs into one operating plan. It helps identify and prioritize specific infrastructure improvements that would increase service capacity in the near-, mid- and long-term future, NCTD officials said in a press release. 

The study supports:

• expanding Coaster service to the San Diego Convention Center;
• extending service to a new Amtrak maintenance facility in National City that will aid LOSSAN Pacific Surfliner operations;
• increasing freight-rail service along the LOSSAN corridor to five roundtrips per day as part of prioritized mid-term improvements; and
• minimizing grade crossing delays by extending signaling and positive train control to improve rail speed and coordination with crossing gates.


NCTD and its rail partners will work with the San Diego Association of Governments, LOSSAN Corridor Agency, California State Transportation Agency and other key stakeholders to identify $380 million to implement mid-term improvements, and an additional $700 million to implement long-term improvements.

LOSSAN is second busiest rail corridor in the nation. In a typical year, the LOSSAN rail corridor moves $1 billion of freight and over 8 million rail passengers. Amtrak, Metrolink, NCTD, Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway Co. operate in the corridor, which experiences traffic congestion due to a single-track infrastructure and other deficiencies, NCTD officials said.