AFTER around 30 years of planning and discussion construction is now underway for the biggest extension to San Diego’s light rail system.
The new 17.6km-long Mid Coast Trolley route will cost around $2.1billion, around half of which is being funded by the Federal Government.
The line will extend the system’s Blue Line route north from the Old Town Transit centre interchange with both trains and other light rail routes to the University City suburbs near the Pacific coast, north of the city.
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The new route will largely run beside the existing rail line (used by commuter, Amtrak and night-time freight trains) and the main Interstate motorway for about two thirds of its length.
Nine new light rail stations will be built, most of them designed as park and ride stops with car parks.
In November, 45 more S70 light rail vehicles were ordered by San Diego operator MTS from Siemens, which will build them in Sacramento.
Thirty-six of the new vehicles are due for delivery from late-2018 onwards and will be used to operate services on the new Mid Coast line.
Read more News in the March issue of The RM – out now!
