The BNSF San Bernardino Subdivision is the southernmost of the route alternatives (see Figures 40 and 41). This route alternative is 70 miles long between Colton and LAUS, and would form a total Indio-Los Angeles corridor length of 141 miles. This route is used by Amtrak’s Southwest Chief long-distance passenger train between Colton and Los Angeles, and Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner intercity passenger trains between Fullerton and Los Angeles. The route is also used by three Metrolink commuter services: Inland Empire-Orange County Line trains between Colton and Atwood; 91 Line trains between Riverside and Los Angeles; and Orange County Line trains between Fullerton and Los Angeles.
The coarse-level screening process evaluated the route alternatives and identified alternatives to move forward into the fine-screening process.
The schedule for this alternative is shown in Table 30 and Table 31, assuming two round trips per day.
Table 30. Route Alternative 1 Westbound Schedule
Westbound AM Trip PM Trip
Indio 9:50 AM 3:20 PM Rancho Mirage 10:05 AM 3:35 PM Palm Springs 10:15 AM 3:45 PM Cabazon 10:30 AM 4:00 PM Loma Linda 11:05 AM 4:35 PM Riverside-Downtown 11:38 AM 5:08 PM Fullerton 12:20 PM 5:50 PM LAUS 1:00 PM 6:30 PM
Total Schedule Time 3:10 3:10
Source: Caltrans Travel Forecasting, 2015; Appendix D
Table 31. Route Alternative 1 Eastbound Schedule
Eastbound AM Trip PM Trip
LAUS 10:20 AM 3:25 PM Fullerton 10:52 AM 3:57 PM Riverside-Downtown 11:36 AM 4:41 PM Loma Linda 12:06 PM 5:11 PM Cabazon 12:41 PM 5:46 PM Palm Springs 12:56 PM 6:01 PM Rancho Mirage 1:11 PM 6:16 PM Indio 1:36 PM 6:41 PM
Total Schedule Time 3:16 3:16
Source: Caltrans Travel Forecasting, 2015; Appendix D
8.1.1
Purpose and Need: Travel Demand
This alternative would serve the intermediate major communities of Riverside and Fullerton, California. The total population within a 15-mile catchment area of these intermediate stops is approximately 5.63 million, and is projected to grow to 6.08 million by 2020. The catchment area around Fullerton has the largest population of any potential intermediate stop among all six
increase in total population along the corridor by 2020 to 11.63 million, which is the highest population reach among the six route alternatives. (SCAG 2012 RTP/SCS)
8.1.2
Purpose and Need: Competitive and Attractive Travel Modes
This alternative is the longest (i.e., miles from end to end) of the route alternatives being evaluated, but would have a travel time comparable to the other alternatives, given the route’s 79-mph maximum allowable passenger train speed and multiple-track main line. Projected running times between Indio and Los Angeles are 3 hours, 10 minutes westbound and 3 hours, 16 minutes eastbound (Table 30 and Table 31).
8.1.3
Environmental Concerns: Major Challenges
Since sufficient passenger train slots are available under current operating agreements for this route, additional infrastructure will not be needed if RCTC dedicates the needed slots to the Coachella Valley service, so this route would not involve any major direct environmental challenges.
8.1.4
Environmental Concerns: Sensitive Areas
This route is adjacent to LBV critical habitat that has been established by the USFWS as it passes through the community of Corona. This alternative also passes through critical habitat for the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher between the communities of Grand Terrace and Colton. The Western Section of this alternative does not pass through and is not adjacent to any Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Areas of Critical of Environmental Concern (ACEC) or USFWS National Wildlife Refuges; it does pass through or is adjacent to seven areas of regulated wetlands. In addition, the Western Section of this alternative crosses over the Santa Ana River (twice), the San Gabriel River, the Rio Hondo Channel, and Coyote Creek. This alternative also passes through and is adjacent to the southern-most boundary of Chino Hills State Park and is adjacent to seven city parks.
8.1.5
Environmental Concerns: Right-of-Way
Based on a review of aerial mapping along the route, land uses adjacent to this alternative are primarily commercial, industrial, and residential (Google Maps, 2015). Since sufficient passenger train slots are available under current operating agreements for this route, additional infrastructure will not be needed if RCTC dedicates the needed slots to the Coachella Valley service, so this route would not involve any right-of-way issues.
8.1.6 Technical Feasibility
This alternative is a high-density freight train route that also hosts Amtrak passenger and Metrolink commuter rail traffic. In addition, Union Pacific freight trains operating to and from the UP Los Angeles Subdivision at Riverside have trackage rights on BNSF’s San Bernardino Subdivision between San Bernardino and Riverside. The route plays a critical role in the movement of domestic and imported consumer goods carried in BNSF intermodal trains between Southern California ports and terminals and the U.S. Interior. Intermodal trains to and from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach operate the entire length of Route Alternative 1,
and use a connection at the route’s western end with the Alameda Corridor rail line serving the Ports. BNSF operates additional intermodal trains to and from its own intermodal terminals located along Route Alternative 1 at Commerce and Hobart.
This alternative is the only alternative that has multiple main tracks for its entire length, consisting of alternating sections of double track and triple track. Current train traffic between Riverside and Los Angeles exceeds 40 freight trains per day, on average, and the section between San Bernardino and Riverside exceeds 60 freight trains per day, on average, according to the Southern California Association of Governments Comprehensive Regional Goods Movement Pan and Implementation Strategy. Two daily Amtrak long-distance trains operates the entire length of the route, and 22 daily Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains use the portion of the route between Fullerton and Los Angeles. Weekday Metrolink commuter rail traffic varies by segment, with eight trains between Colton and Riverside; 25 trains between Riverside and Atwood; nine trains between Atwood and Fullerton; and 28 trains between Fullerton and Los Angeles. Weekend Metrolink commuter rail traffic also varies, with four trains between Colton and Riverside; eight trains between Riverside and Atwood; four trains between Atwood and Fullerton; and 12 trains between Fullerton and Los Angeles.
Maximum allowable passenger train speed is 60 mph east of Fullerton and 79 mph west of Fullerton. The maximum allowable freight train speed is 50 mph throughout. (Information about all BNSF track speeds, gradients, terminal locations, mileages, and signaling in this report have come from the BNSF San Bernardino Subdivision employee timetable dated June 25, 2014.) However, grades of 1% ascending eastward from Fullerton to Colton have the potential to slow or prevent freight trains from reaching track speed. The route is equipped with wayside signaling and Centralized Traffic Control, and Metrolink launched a revenue service demonstration project of Positive Train Control on the route in 2014. At Colton, a low-speed (20 mph) connecting track is in operation that enables trains from Indio operating westbound on UP’s Yuma Subdivision to directly access and operate westbound on BNSF’s San Bernardino Subdivision.
To accommodate additional passenger trains on the BNSF San Bernardino Subdivision will not require additional infrastructure if RCTC dedicates to this service some of the passenger train slots that are available under current operating agreements:
Between Los Angeles and Fullerton, the near-term completion of the triple track project will allow for 50 train movements, up from the current 28. If needed, RCTC can commit four of those train slots to the Coachella Valley service.
Between Fullerton and Riverside the agreement currently allows for 36 train movements, and there are 25 daily train movements at present. If needed, RCTC can commit four of those train slots to the Coachella Valley service.
For the segment between Riverside and Colton, the 2013 completion of the Colton Crossing and some additional provisions allow for conversion of four non-revenue movements to revenue movements between Riverside and San Bernardino. If needed,
The base train equipment sets would be adequate for this alternative. Route Alternative 1 has no specific characteristics that would change operating or maintenance costs substantially compared to the other alternatives.
8.1.7 Economic Feasibility
Because there are available passenger train slots for the entire route between Colton and Los Angeles, additional capacity construction would not be required for this route alternative.