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Re: Santa Cruz and Commuter Rail?
Author: Gary Hunter
Date: 01-16-2012 - 15:26
Actually, the San Andreas Fault bisects the Summit Tunnel (#2?). It moved 6 feet or more in 1906 and prompted the rebuilding and conversion of the former South Pacific Coast line to standard guage. It was Hwy 17 that really took the hit in 1989, which was ironically the same day the 2706 was removed from Ramsay Park in Watsonville. The fault only moved about six inches in the tunnel during the 1989 Loma Prieta quake, but the rail line had been removed for 49 years by that time. There are a number of ways the Santa Cruz branch could be revitalized.
1. The cement plant at Davenport could be modified in a number of ways to allow either going back to natural gas, or be otherwise repurposed.
2. A small intermodal yard could be created on the West side to allow general merchandise to be delivered in containers, allowing truck traffic to be limited on Hwy 1 between Watsonville and SC. This would allow SC trucking to be "local". Enough gas from me for now.
3. A "commuter" rail operation really should reoccupy the mountain route for obvious reasons. Lacking the impetus to do that, the next best solution is to upgrade the tracks on the Watsonville-SC segment and connect to Caltrain/Amtrak at WJ. Historically, back in 1989, the state began "discussions" with SP about purchasing the entire Coast Line. When the extension of Caltrain to Salinas occurs, there will only be the gap beyond Salinas to San Luis Obispo with no state trains. Reasonable speculation would see that gap being filled at some point. All that is necessary is money and politicians willing to stand up to NIMBYs for the benefit of the majority of the populus.
4. There is an experiment that would be ideal for the unique "environment" in Santa Cruz. The sewage treatment plant for SC is a stone's throw from the one-time depot. Methane (natural gas)could be manufactured from the sewage and used to power CNG type locomotives. Besides being a generally good idea, it undermines the perception that railroads aren't "green".
1. The cement plant at Davenport could be modified in a number of ways to allow either going back to natural gas, or be otherwise repurposed.
2. A small intermodal yard could be created on the West side to allow general merchandise to be delivered in containers, allowing truck traffic to be limited on Hwy 1 between Watsonville and SC. This would allow SC trucking to be "local". Enough gas from me for now.
3. A "commuter" rail operation really should reoccupy the mountain route for obvious reasons. Lacking the impetus to do that, the next best solution is to upgrade the tracks on the Watsonville-SC segment and connect to Caltrain/Amtrak at WJ. Historically, back in 1989, the state began "discussions" with SP about purchasing the entire Coast Line. When the extension of Caltrain to Salinas occurs, there will only be the gap beyond Salinas to San Luis Obispo with no state trains. Reasonable speculation would see that gap being filled at some point. All that is necessary is money and politicians willing to stand up to NIMBYs for the benefit of the majority of the populus.
4. There is an experiment that would be ideal for the unique "environment" in Santa Cruz. The sewage treatment plant for SC is a stone's throw from the one-time depot. Methane (natural gas)could be manufactured from the sewage and used to power CNG type locomotives. Besides being a generally good idea, it undermines the perception that railroads aren't "green".
