Alex Padilla U.S. Senator for California

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that the Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded 12 grants to California rail infrastructure projects totaling over $279 million. The grants are part of the DOT’s Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Grant Program, which funds projects to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of intercity passenger and freight rail. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has nearly tripled funding for this program — with $5 billion available from 2022 to 2026.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering hundreds of millions of dollars to make rail transit more efficient and safer for Californians,” said Senator Padilla. “Modernizing and building out our rail networks will help lower our carbon emissions, create good-paying jobs, and keep commuters and goods moving across the state. This announcement includes a crucial federal investment in the LOSSAN rail corridor, bolstering efficiency and climate resiliency against rising sea levels and erosion along the California coastline.”

“CARB’s success securing a federal CRISI grant on behalf of California’s small locomotive operators is key to the future success of its GO ZERO grant program, which helps match Class III rail operators with grants to convert their fleets to cleaner operations at minimal cost. This grant will help replace 10 dirty diesel locomotives with zero-emission battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell locomotives and install four zero-emission battery chargers to provide substantial emissions reductions in communities surrounding rail operations that often endure a disproportionate public health burden,” said California Air Resources Board (CARB) Chair Liane Randolph.

“Thank you Senator Padilla for securing this important Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for The Portal.  This commitment will complete final design for the track and rail systems connecting two recently completed federal investments: the electrification of Caltrain service and the opening of the largest multimodal transit hub on the west coast, the Salesforce Transit Center in downtown San Francisco.  Connecting Caltrain and California High-Speed Rail with BART and 8 regional bus operators will bring diverse communities closer while reducing climate change impacts and providing residents better access to jobs, housing and economic opportunity,” said Adam Van de Water, Executive Director of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority.

CRISI grants awarded by the Department of Transportation for FY 2023-24 include:

• Orange County Transportation Authority — $100 million: The Coastal Rail Infrastructure Resiliency Project will make track improvements along Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner Corridor on infrastructure owned by the Orange County Transportation Authority. The project will bolster safety and climate resilience by stabilizing the track against the effects of sea-level rise and beach erosion, which will increase the reliability of intercity passenger rail, freight, and commuter rail service. It will also decrease delays caused by weather-related incidents in the project area.

• California Air Resources Board — $36.5 million: The Go Zero Emission Rail Operation Project includes the replacement of 10 diesel locomotives with nine zero-emission battery-electric locomotives and one hydrogen fuel cell locomotive, as well as the installation of four battery chargers throughout California. This project will substantially reduce emissions and noise and provide significant benefits to surrounding communities.

• Transbay Joint Powers Authority — $24.7 million: The Downtown Rail Extension (DTX) Final Design for Track and Rail Systems Project will help accommodate California High-Speed Rail (CHSR) and Caltrain commuter rail into the newly built, multimodal Salesforce Transit Center in downtown San Francisco. The project will support the development of the track and rail systems package and perform value engineering, constructability review, and risk management programs associated with the trackwork and rail systems scope for the DTX. This investment will reduce trip time and increase connectivity to other modes.

• Arizona & California Railroad Company — $22.7 million: The Desert Rail Infrastructure Improvement Project will replace approximately 36 miles of rail for the Arizona and California Railroad Company, which will complete the track rehabilitation program for the full 69-mile corridor. This project will enhance safety and improve system and service performance by performing state of good repair upgrades to replace deteriorating 90 lb. rail with 115 lb. rail, resulting in more resiliency, higher speeds, and reduced derailments.

• Modesto and Empire Traction Company — $20.5 million: The Central Valley Green Locomotive Initiative will repower nine existing locomotives. Each locomotive is currently powered by three internal engines, and this project would replace those with a single engine in each locomotive. This would incorporate Tier 4 technology, which is the cleanest technology for diesel locomotives.

• Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority — $20 million: The Capitol Corridor Right-of-Way Safety Improvement Program will install security fencing along the Capitol Corridor route in northern California at three identified priority locations: Oakland to Fremont, Richmond to Emeryville, and Fairfield to Suisun City. This investment will prevent pedestrians from trespassing on the railroad right-of-way and deter individuals from intentionally entering the path of oncoming trains. The project is expected to reduce unauthorized access to the right-of-way and associated incidents by 20 percent along the corridor, including in two counties listed under the National Strategy to Prevent Trespassing: Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

• California Department of Transportation — $18.7 million: This project for the San Joaquin Corridor 2nd Platforms at Modesto and Turlock-Denair Amtrak Stations includes station, track, and grade crossing improvements on the San Joaquin Corridor along infrastructure owned by BNSF Railway. The project will create a second platform at two different stations in California’s Central Valley — Modesto and Denair — and install additional track to ease congestion between passenger and freight service. This investment will enhance safety as the project will upgrade three at-grade crossings and improve congestion.

• Trona Railway Company — $13.1 million: This project includes the replacement of six uncontrolled locomotives with three Tier 4 locomotives. It will reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, benefiting the users Trona Railway Company serves and residents in northern San Bernardino County.

• Mendocino Railway — $11.4 million: This project will acquire and repower three Tier 0 diesel-electric switcher locomotives with three Tier 4 diesel-electric switcher locomotives to be put into service along the Mendocino Railway rail line, running from Fort Bragg to Willits. This cleaner technology and locomotive conversion will reduce criteria pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.

A full list of California projects awarded CRISI grant funding is available here.

Senator Padilla has secured hundreds of millions in federal funding to strengthen California’s rail infrastructure, bolstering modern and sustainable rail transit. Last year, he and the late Senator Dianne Feinstein announced $290 million in CRISI rail grants aimed at improving safety, efficiency, and capacity on key routes across the state. Earlier this year, Padilla announced $53.9 million in federal funding for improvements to the San Dieguito River Railway Bridge, which lies along the 351-mile Los Angeles–San Diego–San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor, the second busiest intercity passenger rail corridor in the nation. He also celebrated a historic $6 billion federal investment from the Federal Railroad Administration last year in California rail projects, including $3.1 billion for the California High-Speed Rail Authority that he pushed for alongside Feinstein, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.-11), and Representative Jim Costa (D-Calif.-21).

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