The new train station in Santa Clarita has opened.
More photos here:
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love to see it
What a mess!
Thankfully the freeway is in the process of being rebuilt and will reopen on Tuesday next week.
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This will be a very unique opportunity to see some rare trackage for railfans (a.k.a. âfoamersâ).
Los Angeles Union Station will temporarily close for track and signal upgrades from Dec. 26 through Dec. 29, 2023 . During this time, for the first time ever, the Pacific Surfliner will bypass Union Station to journey along the east bank of the Los Angeles River and through part of the Alameda Corridor. This will be a historic week for the service, providing passengers with a one-of-a-kind travel experience along a never-before traveled route.
Monorails need a lot of maintenance to look nice.
Itâs a shame they arenât considering elevated heavy rail. Sure, old (steel) elevated lines are noisy, but new (concrete) ones can be built (with sound barriers and baffles) that are almost as quiet as a monorail. There are also rubber-tired trains like they have in Paris and Montreal that are relatively quiet⌠(or at least they sound different in a way thatâs far less irritating.)
One of the alternatives (alt 4) includes elevated heavy rail in the Valley along Sepulveda Blvd, but itâs a huge point of contention. Some Valley residents are making an equity argument that itâs unfair for them to have to deal with an El above a major boulevard when residents of the basin wonât have to. But as a counterpoint: the segment between UCLA and the E Line basically has to be underground because it cuts across the a congested street grid, and the southern segment between the E Line and LAX has only gotten a preliminary exploration. The southern segment certainly could include an El, especially if an alignment along Sepulveda is chosen, itâs just not that far along.
Unfortunately, NIMBY homeowners in Bel Air and Sherman Oaks have co-opted the equity argument to bolster their anti-subway tunnel agenda. Assholes like Fred Rosen have made it a personal campaign to stop Metro from tunneling under their neighborhood in the hills.
I could spend all afternoon laying out why the monorail is a terrible option and how insane the NIMBY opposition has gotten, but Nick Andert has done an incredible job of summarizing the saga on his YouTube page. The latest drama is all covered within his 2023 LA project update here.
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In the Sacramento area (Folsom), the outer part of the Gold Line light rail is being partially double-tracked, allowing for 15-minute service on this stretch of rail. Currently, due to a single track, trams in Folsom only run every 30 minutes.
https://www.sacrt.com/apps/lr-modernization-3/
Construction begins Jan 2 2024 and is expected to be complete in summer 2024.
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