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Later this week, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) will hold a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of Phase I of its Freight Railroad Relocation (FRR) Project.

The $36 million project calls for clearing VTA-owned right of way between Grimmer Boulevard in Fremont and Montague Expressway in Milpitas, Calif., including relocating utilities and Union Pacific Railroad tracks to a parallel location. VTA purchased the eight-mile, north/south right of way from UP in 2002. Future phases include grade separations.

The rail relocation clears the way for the Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Project, which calls for extending Bay Area Rapid Transit service 16.1 miles from a future Warm Springs station in Fremont, through Milpitas and San Jose, to Santa Clara. VTA plans to build the BART extension next to the newly relocated freight line.