Rep. McNerney introduces bill to improve Altamont Corridor

On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) introduced a bill that would help fund the Altamont Corridor Rail Project, which would expand rail services and enable faster passenger trains to operate between California’s Central Valley and the Bay Area. 

The Altamont Corridor Rail Improvement Act (H.R. 1504) would authorize the U.S. Department of Transportation to provide up to $450 million in grants over the next 10 years to fund the project’s preliminary engineering, final design and construction.

The Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) currently operates weekday trains from the Central Valley to the Bay Area, and shares tracks with freight trains and Amtrak. However, sharing track limits passenger-train speed, and affects arrival and departure times. The project would establish a dedicated track for passenger rail. The 85-mile corridor has the potential to serve 35,000 people each way, according to McNerney.

"The Altamont Corridor Rail Project is a key part of expanding our region's transportation network, working hand in hand wtih BART improvements and the development of high-speed rail," said Alameda County Supervisor and San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission Commissioner Scott Haggerty in a prepared statement.