Leaders push to extend train line from the Bay Area to the Central Coast

A push to get a train line extended from the Bay Area to the Central Coast is heating up, as local leaders try to get federal dollars to make it happen. Project plans for one area near Watsonville are already in the works. Right now the Capitol Corridor goes from Sacramento all the way down to San Jose. An extension of that track line would make stops in Salinas and possibly Pajaro, something the city of Watsonville is pushing for.

Watsonville Mayor, Nancy Bilicich says, “To have it in Pajaro I mean five minutes away, how exciting for tourism, for business, for people that need jobs. If they want to go to Gilroy, its an opportunity.” The proposed station would be off railroad avenue, fully equipped with car and bike parking, a new rail platform, and MST/Santa Cruz metro bus transfers. But Virginia Murillo with the Transportation Agency for Monterey County says they need more grant funding first. “$69.7 million is already funded for the first phase, and the second phase which would be this station would be 23 million dollars.”

On Wednesday staff from U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office stopped by the proposed site and met with leaders about the plan. “This is so great for our community because it will give them access to San Jose, San Francisco or Sacramento to have the jobs that will put food on their tables and money in the their pockets.”

Right now the tracks are used by freight trains to transport a variety of goods, but the city of Watsonville is hoping by 2020, they’ll also be transporting people in and out of the city.

The train extension project brings back memories for Mayor Bilicich, “I remember as a little girl riding the train with my mom to San Francisco and now the train station isn’t there, so this is going to be rejuvenated.” Leaders hope the train also rejuvenates the economy around the station. Construction could start as early as 2017.