RECEIVE update on the planned increase in passenger rail service along the coast corridor between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Progress since the last update on the coast rail project to this Committee in January includes a meeting of the Coast Rail Coordinating Council working group and submittal of two applications for State Rail Assistance funding.

The Coast Rail service project construction and operation costs are still under evaluation.

The Coast Rail Coordinating Council is a multi-agency advisory and planning organization focused on improving the rail corridor between Los Angeles and the San Francisco bay area along the California Central Coast. Members of Council include all regional transportation planning agencies along the Central Coast – all of which have a strong interest in improving rail service and the rail infrastructure along the Central Coast’s portion of the California Coast Passenger Rail Corridor.

The Policy Committee is scheduled to met in Santa Barbara in March. Staff to the member agencies convene regular technical working group phone calls.

In February, our region submitted two State Rail Assistance grant applications.  The San Luis Obispo Council of Governments was the lead on submitting an application for $800,000 in State Rail Assistance funds to develop a Coast Rail Corridor Service Implementation Plan and to acquire the license and training for rail modeling software.

The City of King was the lead in submitting a State Rail Assistance application for the planning and design, including support for negotiations with Union Pacific Railroad, of a temporary train platform to be served by the Amtrak Coast Starlight and/or the planned future additional through-train. Attached is the staff report on the grant proposal from the February 12, 2019 City Council meeting.

Staff will provide a verbal update at the meeting.