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SMART track completed in Marin
Author: The Odd Duck
Date: 09-03-2015 - 11:42
SMART track completed in Marin
Dirt is moved on a berm next to the SMART tracks along Los Ranchitos Road in San Rafael. The next step will be to build stations now that all the Marin track has been placed. Alan Dep — Marin Independent Journal
By Mark Prado, Marin Independent Journal
POSTED: 09/02/15, 5:56 PM PDT | UPDATED: 2 HRS AGO 9 COMMENTS
All the track needed to run Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit commuter trains through Marin County is now set firmly in terra firma after 15 months of work.
Crews have put down the final track near the Civic Center, completing about 20 miles of rail that stretches from downtown San Rafael to the county line.
“The track has all been laid,” said Judy Arnold, Marin supervisor and chairwoman of the SMART board. “It’s an example of how the design-build process has worked toward getting this project opened sooner.”
The design-build model uses one contractor to design and then build the work rather than have separate firms to design and then construct a project.
Track work in Marin, which began in March 2014, moved from north to south. More permits will be needed from federal officials before the trains can be tested on tracks south of the Civic Center. SMART trains have rolled on tracks in northern Marin, with one set stationed near the Civic Center during the county fair in early July.
“Our next step will be the building of stations starting with downtown San Rafael and then going north,” said Farhad Mansourian, SMART’s executive director.
The new rails are expected to provide a quiet ride. Rail lines of yesteryear were generally built on tracks that were 48 feet long, creating the iconic “clickity-clack” sound as train wheels hit joints.
The SMART trains, however, will run on the longer stretches of continuous 1,600 foot sections of welded rail — manufactured in Pueblo, Colorado — resulting in less noise.
There was existing track in Marin, but it could only handle train speeds of up to 25 mph, perfect for freight but not a commuter service. The new SMART rails will be able to accommodate speeds of up to 82 mph, although the SMART plan calls for a top speed of 79 mph.
Putting rails in Marin is part of the $427.9 million project linking downtown San Rafael to the Sonoma airport with service set to start at the end of 2016.
Marin SMART stops will include downtown San Rafael, the Marin Civic Center and stations in Novato at Hamilton and Atherton Avenue. There is also renewed discussion of having some service to downtown Novato, but nothing has been finalized. An extension to Larkspur soon after service begins could be put in if federal money comes through, officials said.
Park of the recent work included putting track into the 135-year-old Puerto Suello Hill train tunnel. The tunnel partially collapsed in 1961 in a blaze that took the life of a firefighter. When the railroad company rebuilt the tunnel, it used a wooden shoring system to reconstruct concrete walls. That wood had since decayed, creating empty pockets.
To prevent movement during earthquakes, industrial-strength grout was shot into those gaps. All told, the tunnel work cost about $4 million. In addition to the grout, cracks were repaired and walls were bolted down. Overall, the tunnel was deemed to be in remarkably good shape by engineers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Reach the author at mprado@marinij.com or follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkPradoIJ.
Dirt is moved on a berm next to the SMART tracks along Los Ranchitos Road in San Rafael. The next step will be to build stations now that all the Marin track has been placed. Alan Dep — Marin Independent Journal
By Mark Prado, Marin Independent Journal
POSTED: 09/02/15, 5:56 PM PDT | UPDATED: 2 HRS AGO 9 COMMENTS
All the track needed to run Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit commuter trains through Marin County is now set firmly in terra firma after 15 months of work.
Crews have put down the final track near the Civic Center, completing about 20 miles of rail that stretches from downtown San Rafael to the county line.
“The track has all been laid,” said Judy Arnold, Marin supervisor and chairwoman of the SMART board. “It’s an example of how the design-build process has worked toward getting this project opened sooner.”
The design-build model uses one contractor to design and then build the work rather than have separate firms to design and then construct a project.
Track work in Marin, which began in March 2014, moved from north to south. More permits will be needed from federal officials before the trains can be tested on tracks south of the Civic Center. SMART trains have rolled on tracks in northern Marin, with one set stationed near the Civic Center during the county fair in early July.
“Our next step will be the building of stations starting with downtown San Rafael and then going north,” said Farhad Mansourian, SMART’s executive director.
The new rails are expected to provide a quiet ride. Rail lines of yesteryear were generally built on tracks that were 48 feet long, creating the iconic “clickity-clack” sound as train wheels hit joints.
The SMART trains, however, will run on the longer stretches of continuous 1,600 foot sections of welded rail — manufactured in Pueblo, Colorado — resulting in less noise.
There was existing track in Marin, but it could only handle train speeds of up to 25 mph, perfect for freight but not a commuter service. The new SMART rails will be able to accommodate speeds of up to 82 mph, although the SMART plan calls for a top speed of 79 mph.
Putting rails in Marin is part of the $427.9 million project linking downtown San Rafael to the Sonoma airport with service set to start at the end of 2016.
Marin SMART stops will include downtown San Rafael, the Marin Civic Center and stations in Novato at Hamilton and Atherton Avenue. There is also renewed discussion of having some service to downtown Novato, but nothing has been finalized. An extension to Larkspur soon after service begins could be put in if federal money comes through, officials said.
Park of the recent work included putting track into the 135-year-old Puerto Suello Hill train tunnel. The tunnel partially collapsed in 1961 in a blaze that took the life of a firefighter. When the railroad company rebuilt the tunnel, it used a wooden shoring system to reconstruct concrete walls. That wood had since decayed, creating empty pockets.
To prevent movement during earthquakes, industrial-strength grout was shot into those gaps. All told, the tunnel work cost about $4 million. In addition to the grout, cracks were repaired and walls were bolted down. Overall, the tunnel was deemed to be in remarkably good shape by engineers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Reach the author at mprado@marinij.com or follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkPradoIJ.
| Subject | Written By | Date/Time (PST) |
|---|---|---|
 SMART track completed in Marin |
The Odd Duck | 09-03-2015 - 11:42 |