M. L. Neveu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Will they ever open the entire line again for
> regular traffic. It looks like it could be used as
> everything seems to be ready; just rusty?

Not likely to happen any time soon, for a couple of reasons.

Because of track conditions, the maximum speed from Melrose (High Street in East Oakland) to Niles Jct. is 10, and Rule 6.32.2 (requiring trains to stop and flag crossing unless the automatic crossing protection is seen to be working) is in effect between 47th Ave. in East Oakland and Decoto Road in the Fremont area. Plus the junction switch at Melrose is hand operated (it would've been CP NI010 has it been converted to a dual-control switch). UP did reactivate the CTC that had been out of service, but that's because they are required to either maintain it in working order or apply to the FRA to discontinue it, not something they want to be because they think having the CTC will increase the sale price if they're (ever) able to sell a portion of the line to the Joint Powers Board (or another public agency) for passenger service.

There has been no through service for many years, and no local service from 98th Ave. in East Oakland out to near Fremont for nearly as long. In fact, UP often uses portions of the main track for car storage. The last regular customer on the East Oakland end of the line, R & A Trucking on 77th Ave., was severely impacted by the closure of the NUMMI plant at Warm Springs earlier this year. R & A received inbound loads of coil steel by rail, unloaded and warehoused them for NUMMI, then trucked them down to Warm Springs as required. In any event, the Niles and Coast Subs are more than adequate for current traffic levels, even if there's an expansion of Capitol Corridor service.

So, bottom line, expect to see lots of rusty rail for the foreseeable future.

For more discussions about this, use the search feature for "Oakland Sub."