The Monterey County Rail Extension Project will extend passenger rail service from Santa Clara County south to Salinas. TAMC is pursuing a phased implementation of the Project. Phase 1, known as the Kick Start Project, includes Salinas train station circulation improvements, a train layover facility in Salinas, and track improvements at the Gilroy station and between Salinas and Gilroy. The Kick Start Project has wrapped up construction of Package 1, improvements at the Salinas train station. The layover facility (Package 2) and track improvements (Package 3) are now in final design.
Construction of Package 1: Salinas Station Improvements
TAMC staff is coordinating with Caltrans and the City of Salinas on the logistics to transfer ownership of the completed project to the City, pursuant to the adopted Memorandum of Understanding. The land transfer must be approved by the California Transportation Commission (CTC) to empower the City and TAMC to approve transfer agreements. TAMC originally approved a land transfer agreement on September 22, 2021 and the City Council approved it on October 26, 2021. After TAMC and Salinas approved the transfer agreement, CTC staff requested that references to the City's future hypothetical development on the parcels be removed from the agreement. This change was made to the agreement and TAMC Board and the City of Salinas approved the revised agreement in August 2022. After the revised agreement was submitted to the California Transportation Commission, their legal counsel requested that additional language be added to the agreement that explicitly assigns the obligations of the funding agreements between TAMC and Caltrans to the City of Salinas. This further change was made and the revised agreement was approved by the Board on October 26, 2022 meeting (Salinas staff indicated this change did not need to be re-approved by City Council). With this change, the California Transportation Commission approved the property transfer at their December 8, 2022 meeting. TAMC staff is now coordinating with the City to finalize the transfer agreement and quitclaim deeds.
Property Acquisition for Package 2: Salinas Layover Facility
On December 4, 2019, the Transportation Agency Board approved Resolutions of Necessity on portions of four parcels and one full parcel needed for the Salinas layover facility. TAMC staff continues to oversee the right-of-way special counsel from Burke, Williams, & Sorensen to further negotiations and finalize the remaining acquisitions in Salinas, and the team of Bender Rosenthal and Nossaman for Union Pacific property access negotiations.
Final Design for Package 2 and Package 3: Gilroy Station & Track Improvements
HDR Engineering prepared the 100% plans, specifications and estimates for stakeholder review on September 1, 2022, and has gathered stakeholder input on those plans.
The final design team held the following meetings to further the project's design:
- High-Speed Rail, Gilroy, Caltrain, Caltrans, and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) - October 31 and December 1
- Caltrain Salinas site visit - October 28
- Caltrain MOU discussion - November 22