Salinas Rail Project - Union Pacific Railroad Capacity Model Reimbursement Agreement:

1. APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Executive Director to execute a reimbursement agreement with Union Pacific Railroad to conduct a capacity analysis for the Monterey County Rail Extension Kick-Start project, in an amount not to exceed $50,000;
2. AUTHORIZE the use of Regional Surface Transportation Planning funds for this purpose; and
3. AUTHORIZE the Executive Director to take such other further actions as may be necessary to fulfill the intent of the agreement, including approvals of future modifications or amendments that do not significantly alter the scope of work, or change the approved contract term or amount.

Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) is the owner of the coast mainline tracks, upon which TAMC is proposing passenger rail service via the Monterey County Rail Extension Kick Start project. UPRR requires passenger rail projects to conduct a capacity model analysis of the corridor to outline capacity improvements that may be needed to support the increase in rail service.

This capacity analysis reimbursement agreement has a not-to-exceed amount of $50,000. This agreement supplements a 2020 agreement between TAMC and UPRR for design review. Staff recommends using Regional Surface Transportation Funds set aside in the rail project budget for this purpose. 

TAMC has been planning the extension of rail service to Monterey County (the “Monterey County Rail Extension Project”) for over two decades. In that time, TAMC has completed a state-required Project Study Report and certified an Environmental Impact Report to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act. Using state funding, TAMC has performed the planning, due diligence environmental review, and design for the project.

HDR Engineering is under contract to do the final designs for track connections to a new layover facility in Salinas (Package 2) and track access improvements at the Gilroy station in Santa Clara County (Package 3), including two at-grade road crossings (10th Street and Luchessa Avenue). HDR's contract includes a task of coordinating with UPRR on work within UPRR rights-of-way in Salinas and Gilroy. This agreement (attached) will reimburse UPRR to conduct a capacity analysis of the corridor, which will result in a list of rail capacity-increasing projects to be included in the designs for the project.

In December 2020, UPRR and TAMC entered into a design review reimbursement agreement, and TAMC sent UPRR track designs that UPRR staff are now reviewing. Other work anticipated for a future agreement is a construction agreement for work within UPRR right-of-way, for future consideration by this Board.