Editing Altamont Corridor Express (section)

=== Future plans ===
{{ACEforward}}

In association with the [[California High-Speed Rail]] project, ACE has developed plans to upgrade and expand service. Beginning around 2008, initial plans called for the Altamont Corridor Rail Project to produce a [[high speed rail]] "Super ACE" capable of halving the travel time between the endpoints.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.recordnet.com/article/20091113/a_news/911130318 |title='Super ACE' rail project touted |newspaper=Modesto Bee |date=November 13, 2009 |first=Zachary K. |last=Johnson |access-date=August 22, 2016}}</ref>

As the high-speed rail project was scaled back and rerouted to [[Pacheco Pass]] several years later, these plans were replaced with the more modest '''ACE''forward''''' program. The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission issued a notice of intent to proceed with an [[Environmental Impact Statement]] in June 2013;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.acerail.com/About/Public-Projects/ACEforward/NOTICE-OF-PREPARATION-OF-AN-ENVIRONMENTAL-IMPACT-R |title=NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT |publisher=San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission |date=June 24, 2013 |access-date=August 13, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531143409/http://www.acerail.com/About/Public-Projects/ACEforward/NOTICE-OF-PREPARATION-OF-AN-ENVIRONMENTAL-IMPACT-R |archive-date=May 31, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> this was released in 2017 and prioritized goals as either long term or short term.<ref name=reportreleased /> Short term goals included track improvements, a possible reroute through downtown [[Tracy, California|Tracy]] including new stations, a West Tracy station, and a new extension to [[Modesto, California|Modesto]] in addition to additional daily round trips. Long term goals included upgrades to the existing corridor to allow as many as 10 daily round trips, extension to [[Merced, California|Merced]] and [[railway electrification|electrification]] of the line from Stockton to San Jose.<ref name=reportreleased>{{cite news|title=ACE expansion report released|url=http://www.goldenstatenewspapers.com/tracy_press/news/ace-expansion-report-released/article_226f65de-464b-11e7-9d08-f38acbae2ebe.html|access-date=June 2, 2017|agency=Tracy Press|date=May 31, 2017}}</ref>

Also under studied were possible connections with [[Bay Area Rapid Transit|BART]] at [[Union City, California|Union City]] or the [[Tri-Valley]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.acerail.com/About/Public-Projects/ACEforward/Alternatives-Development/ACEforward-SJRRC-Board-PPT-April-4,-2014.pdf |title=ACEforward Alternatives Analysis and Development (presentation at SJRRC Board Meeting) |publisher=San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission |date=April 4, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.acerail.com/About/Public-Projects/ACEforward/ACEforward_July2015-email-web.pdf |title=ACEforward – Improving the Altamont Corridor Express |publisher=San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission |date=July 2015}}</ref> via traditional ACE rail, [[diesel multiple unit]]s, or bus bridges.<ref>{{cite web |title=Valley Link Project – APTA Economic Impact Analysis |url=https://c033ec62-dec6-47d9-be61-dc7021cf3724.filesusr.com/ugd/096164_0b1c137a33da401bb0cdfe530649fe91.pdf |website=valleylinkrail.com |access-date=July 21, 2021 |date=May 13, 2020}}</ref> This connection is planned to be facilitated by the Tri-Valley–San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority.<ref>{{cite web |title=Valley Link Project |url=https://www.valleylinkrail.com/valleylink-project |website=valleylinkrail.com |access-date=July 21, 2021}}</ref>

The California state senate allocated $400 million in revenue from a [[gas tax]] increase to ACE''forward'' expansion.<ref name=reportreleased /> By 2019, the plan had come to be called the '''Altamont Corridor Vision''', with an expected price of $9.7 billion, allowing ACE to run up to six weekday round trips in 2023 with the goal of ten weekday round trips once additional track infrastructure is completed. ACE and the Tri-Valley–San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority sought funding to construct a shared tunnel under Altamont pass in order to speed service and increase reliability.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Holland |first1=John |title=Forty trains a day through Altamont at up to 125 mph? It could happen, weary drivers |url=https://www.modbee.com/news/local/article233326662.html |access-date=September 18, 2019 |agency=Modesto Bee |date=September 1, 2019}}</ref>

====Valley Rail====
[[File:ACE and San Joaquins routemap with Valley Rail extensions (semi-schematic).svg|thumb|right|Schematic routemap, approximately to scale, with Merced and Sacramento extensions planned under Valley Rail project]]
{{main|Valley Rail (ACE)}}{{Distinguish|North Valley Rail|Valley Link}}
However, during the development of ACE''forward'', significant financial and logistical challenges to expanding service on the existing route between Stockton and San Jose were identified, and further work on the project was halted in favor of a new [[Valley Rail (ACE)|Valley Rail]] project, focusing initially on the eastern expansion to serve commuters living in the [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]].<ref name=LC-DEIR-Ch1>{{cite report |url=https://www.sjrrc.com/lathrop-ceres-extension-eir/ |title=Draft Environmental Impact Report: ACE Extension Lathrop to Ceres/Merced, State Clearinghouse #2018012014 |author=ICF |date=April 2018 |publisher=San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission |chapter=1: Introduction |chapter-url=https://d2j5fyfnufxt9o.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/1_0_Intro.pdf |access-date=30 October 2024}}</ref>{{rp|1-1}} ACE was awarded $500.5 million in April 2018 for expanded service to Ceres and Sacramento<ref>{{cite news|last1=Holland|first1=John|title=Expanded train service coming to Modesto, Merced; what it means for commuters|url=https://www.modbee.com/news/article209941964.html|access-date=April 28, 2018|agency=Modesto Bee|date=April 27, 2018}}</ref> to provide more rail service and connections within the [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Vaughn|first1=Danielle|title=San Joaquin rail service plans expansion of Sacramento route|url=http://www.lodinews.com/news/article_d1641724-ee99-11e6-9905-773d897007de.html|access-date=February 14, 2017|publisher=Lodi News-Sentinel|date=February 8, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.acerail.com/getattachment/About/Projects-Initiatives/Current/ACE-Extension-Lathrop-to-Ceres-Merced/ACE-Ext_NOP_Final.pdf |title=NOTICE OF PREPARATION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT: ACE Extension Lathrop to Ceres/Merced |date=January 10, 2018 |publisher=San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission}}</ref> Service is expected to begin from Ceres by 2023<ref name=ManRip2023 /> with interim [[Rail replacement bus service|bus bridge]] service to Merced until that segment of Union Pacific right-of-way is upgraded. Four trains will depart Ceres in the mornings, and one train may make the complete run to San Jose with others transferring passengers at North Lathrop.<ref>{{cite web |title=ACE Extension Lathrop to Ceres/Merced Draft EIR Executive Summary ES.3.1.2 Operation and Maintenance |url=http://www.acerail.com/About/Projects-Initiatives/Current/ACE-Extension-Lathrop-to-Ceres-Merced/Draft-Environmental-Impact-Report/00_ES.pdf |publisher=San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission |access-date=January 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115023219/http://www.acerail.com/About/Projects-Initiatives/Current/ACE-Extension-Lathrop-to-Ceres-Merced/Draft-Environmental-Impact-Report/00_ES.pdf |archive-date=January 15, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Union Pacific right of way between Ceres and Lathrop will be [[Double-track railway|double tracked]] to facilitate passenger service.<ref name=ManRip2023>{{cite news |last1=Wyatt |first1=Dennis |title=ACE on track for Manteca & Ripon stops |url=https://www.mantecabulletin.com/news/local-news/ace-track-manteca-ripon-stops/ |access-date=October 14, 2019 |agency=Manteca Bulletin |date=October 9, 2019}}</ref> {{as of|2019}} platforms are being extended to accommodate longer trains.<ref>{{cite news |title=SJRRC selects LAN for Altamont Corridor Express Platform Extension Project |url=https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/infrastructure/press-release/21116315/lockwood-andrews-newnam-inc-sjrrc-selects-lan-for-altamont-corridor-express-platform-extension-project |access-date=December 6, 2019 |agency=Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam Inc. |publisher=Mass Transit |date=November 27, 2019}}</ref>

Valley Rail also includes a project segment to route ACE and Amtrak ''[[San Joaquins]]'' along the little-used [[Sacramento Subdivision]] between Stockton and Sacramento. Six new stations would be constructed along the line with a layover facility at Natomas. Trains would run the length of the line from Natomas to San Jose or Ceres with a midday [[short turn]] to Stockton. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement was released in 2020, with services expected to begin no later than 2023.<ref>{{cite web |title=Valley Rail Sacramento Extension Project Draft Environmental Impact Report |url=https://acerail.com/wp-content/uploads/Valley-Rail-Sacramento-Extention-Project-DEIR-Vol-I-ES-to-3.5a.pdf |website=ACE |publisher=AECOM |access-date=May 9, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830223415/https://acerail.com/wp-content/uploads/Valley-Rail-Sacramento-Extention-Project-DEIR-Vol-I-ES-to-3.5a.pdf |archive-date=2021-08-30}}</ref> The North Elk Grove station was eliminated from planning in September 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=September 2020|title=Valley Rail Sacramento Extension Project Draft Environmental Impact Report|url=https://acerail.com/wp-content/uploads/Valley-Rail-Sac-Ext-FEIR-Vol-II-Sept-2020.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=December 19, 2020|website=Valley Rail Sacramento Extension Project Draft Environmental Impact Report Volume II|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525183208/https://acerail.com/wp-content/uploads/Valley-Rail-Sac-Ext-FEIR-Vol-II-Sept-2020.pdf |archive-date=May 25, 2021 }}</ref> The project received funding via California's Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program in 2023, by which time the project was expected to open in phases beginning in 2025.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Governor Newsom Announces Awards of $2.5 Billion for Public Transportation Projects Throughout California |url=https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/01/31/governor-newsom-announces-awards-of-2-5-billion-for-public-transportation-projects-throughout-california/ |access-date=6 February 2023 |agency=State of California |date=Jan 31, 2023}}</ref> Later that year, the estimated commencement of service to Ceres and Natomas were again pushed back to 2026, with service to Merced and infill stations opening by 2030.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Holland |first1=John |title=ACE rail expansion runs late, just as Modesto readies its historic downtown depot |url=https://www.modbee.com/news/local/article272920205.html |access-date=13 March 2023 |agency=Modesto Bee |date=March 13, 2023}}</ref>