There was a ton of opposition in the comment letters on the Draft EIR from Alameda County and Santa Clara jurisdictions and individuals on the on any potential fixes in Niles Canyon and the double tracking through Alviso. UP is requiring both to be fixed to add in any additonal trains over the Altamont. Add in the fact that there wasn't any money to do the work, and SJRRC decided to take the $400million they had and focus on Merced to Sacramento.

The TIRCP grant application they are submitting today in partnership with the SJJPA for the San Joaquin will focus on getting funding to do the following:

3 additonal ACE trains northbound from Merced on the UP Fresno Sub to Stockton and on the UP Sacramento Sub from Stockton to Natomas in the morning and returning at night. Timed connections in North Lathrop (new station on Sharpe Army Depot property) to trains to San Joee.

1 ACE train northbound in Merced on the Fresno Sub in the morning, turning in Lathrop, and then the normal ACE route to San Jose.

1 ACE train southbound in the morning from Natomas on the Sacramento Sub to Stockton, then following the normal ACE route to San Jose. The other 2 existing ACE trains would continue their morning start in Stockton, so there's still a total of 4 trains to San Jose.

1 ACE train operating mid day between Sacramento and Stockton on the Sacramento Sub.

2 additional San Joaquins from Fresno to Natomas using the BNSF Stockton Sub and UP Sacramento Sub.

New stations would be at Merced (SP station), Livingston or Atwater, existing Turlock Bus Transit Station, Ceres just west of SR 98, Modesto (SP station), Ripon, existing Manteca Transit Center, North Lathrop (Sharpe Army Depot property), west of Lodi on Sac Sub, Elk Grove, Sac City College, old North Sacramento, and North Natomas. Additionally, funding is being requested for a new Oakley station and to relocate the Madera station again to Avenue 12 for a future HSR connection.

If not enough TIRCP funds are awarded the service from Merced to Ceres would be replaced by battery electric feeder buses as a first phase. And if they get even less money awarded stations would be cut.

There's a ton of political support and really no opposition for Merced to Sacramento, so the environmental process should go smoother with this approach.