This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
3/3/2023
The San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (SJJPA) last week hosted U.S. Rep. John Duarte (R-Calif.) to ride the San Joaquins state-supported train and tour the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission’s (SJRRC) rail maintenance facility in Stockton, California.
Completed in 2019, the 157,000-square-foot facility enables the SJRRC to maintain and clean all Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) trains, as well as perform equipment overhaul work for ACE and the state’s intercity rail fleet. The facility supports 60 local jobs and has dozens of project-specific contractors onsite on a regular basis.
The Feb. 24 tour and meeting with Duarte was also hosted by California’s Intercity Rail Corridors Linking Everyone (CIRCLE), of which SJJPA is a member. Duarte is a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials.
SJRRC and SJJPA are exploring the creation of the Railroad Academy of Central California, a public-private partnership that would connect historically disadvantaged communities in the greater San Joaquin County region to career opportunities in the passenger railroad and transit industries, according to a CIRCLE press release.
Key partners in the academy include Sacramento City College, SJRRC, Stockton Unified School District, Amtrak, Herzog Transit Services and Union Pacific Railroad.
During the tour, the group discussed the Valley Rail program, an expansion of the San Joaquins and ACE services. Once completed, Valley Rail will create a north-south ACE line from Sacramento to Merced and allow for two additional daily round trips for the San Joaquins. The program has secured over $1 billion in funding to support the program and the rail agencies are working to leverage federal funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to support the program.
"We look forward to working with Congressman Duarte and our state and regional partners in advancing transparent and cost-effective transportation solutions to connect valley residents to economic opportunities throughout the Bay Area and Sacramento regions," said Stacey Mortensen, executive director of SJRRC and SJJPA.