http://www.conductormax.com/Newsroom.aspxhttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifCopyright 2010. All rights reserved.History,Trains and a Diner All Rolled Into One What do commuters in San Francisco, a historic train station and a diner all have in common? Well of course it's The Centerville Train Station and the Depot Diner in Fremont California! Located in the City of Fremont's historic Centerville District in the San Francisco Bay Area, you'll find them all cohabitating peacefully - not only sending passengers on their way but filling them up with yummy treats and a good ole dose of rich history. Not only does the train station sport the original train station built in 1910, but it is also located on the ACE commuter line, which takes commuters into and out of the San Francisco Bay Area. Inside the train depot is a quaint little diner owned by the Lorenz family, who together with their family cook up delicious treats and fare for hungry commuters, train buffs and locals in the area. Located in the East Bay, the train station is a wonderful place to visit for both train enthusiasts and adventurers alike. There is something for everyone located at the depot - including an observation deck where visitors can sit and sip their coffee while watching passengers board and offboard the trains. Inside the diner there also gifts and other fun train things you can purchase or just admire. Inside the Depot Diner Classic historical ambiance is part of the charm of the Depot Diner located in Fremont, Ca. at the Centerville Train Station The Centerville Train Station This is the back of the Centerville Train Station, home of the Depot Diner. Commuters from as far away as Stockton use the commuters train to come into the San Francisco Bay Area. The Amtrak train also runs on this line. Serving up Train Tickets, Food and Fun! Serving not only as a diner, the depot also serves up tickets for commuters getting back and forth to work between outlying cities such as Tracy and Livermore - bringing passengers into and out of the Silicon Valley and San Francisco Bay Area region. The ACE train is a commute service train in the Bay Area in Northern California that runs from Stockton to San Jose. Bus transfers are available and day trips can be made into Sacramento, the capitol of California, where you can visit Old Sacramento and the Historic train museum located in Sacramento's historic district, Amtrak trains provide this service, along with other Amtrak destinations along the Fremont route. If you are just in the mood for a day adventure and some good eats, the menu for the diner is located here. Fresh pastries are baked and served up daily in addition to special brewed coffee treats, made to order deli sandwiches and some famous homemade chili. You can leisurely sip on a coffee and watch passing trains on the open observation deck. Hours and address for the Depot Diner are: Depot hours Monday - Friday: 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday: 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday: Closed Depot address 37260 Fremont Boulevard Fremont, CA, 94536 The diner has a meeting room which can be reserved for local meetings, birthday parties and special events. This could be a perfect gift to give a loved one or kids that want something fun to do on their special day (train rides can also be included in the birthday package at the Centerville Train Station) The ACE (Altamont Commuter Express) website is here for more information on fares and schedules. To learn more about the Historic Centerville Train Station,Wiki also has a great article on the stations roots along with links for both Amtrak train service and the Altamont Commuter Express. A brief history on the Depot Diner there is an interesting read. The Depot Diner Logo One of Four Original TrainStations in Fremont If you love trains but can't make it to the station on time, there are web-cams that you can visit to take a virtual "ride" of the station. Web-cams are available here. The web-cam feature gives you a nice peek into the classic diner and the train platform outside. If web-cams don't satisfy the adventurer in you, then you might want to drop in during the day when the Depot Diner is open. Inside you will probably be greeted by Vic or Norma, 2 longtime Fremont residents who will welcome you with open smiles. Serving up good vibes along with his fresh baked goodies, Vic will make you chuckle with some of his famous jokes. The depot is owned by the Lorenz family, Dirk and Lisa, themselves a historic family in their own right. The Lorenz family also own the longstanding Fremont Flowers across the street from the station and another historic icon - the Cloverdale Creamery. The Centerville Train Station was entirely renovated during the years 1991-1999 and loving attention was paid to the minutest of details - even down to the the original Western Union signs and the working semaphore signal proudly displayed outside the train station. In an effort to preserve the rich train heritage of the area, every effort was made to renovate the station as it once stood in 1910. More on the history of the Fremont Centerville Train Station and the Depot Diner in Fremont Ca. located here. (Dorsi Diaz is a freelance writer/publisher on the Internet. Dorsi's family were long time Fremont residents. Their Fremont sign company was used to reproduce the original Western Union signs which are displayed at the Centerville Train Station. Dorsi and her husband Joe have attended many local community events at the train depot and are avid fans and friends of the Lorenz and Magalang family - outstanding people who have been dedicated to preserving the rich history of Fremont) 9/5/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=d0aaafed-b279-4575-a16b-04c94fe3c556http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifAugust 13th, 2010 11:05 am . California's Great America Photo: Christina Rivas-Louie The Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) is running an extraordinary round-trip train ride from Stockton, CA to San Jose this weekend to bring commuters from the Central Valley and East Bay to two exciting venues: 1) California’s Great America; and 2) San Jose Jazz Festival. The Saturday, August 14th train will depart from Stockton at 9:30 A.M. and make several stops to pick up passengers in Lathrop/Manteca, Tracy, Vasco Road, Livermore, Pleasanton, and Fremont; arriving in Santa Clara at 11:18 A.M., and San Jose at 11:30 A.M. For $50.00 per person, the California’s Great America package will include the round-trip rail ticket, all-day Saturday entrance to the park, and a hot dog lunch buffet. For $22.00 per person, the San Jose Jazz Festival package will include the round-trip rail ticket and all-day Saturday entrance to the Jazz Festival with an option to return back home either on Saturday or Sunday (the train departs at 3:20 P.M. on August 15, for passengers planning on an overnight stay). California’s Great America and San Jose Jazz Festival ACE rail packages go on-sale today at: http://www.acerail.com/cga.aspx, but only until 4:00 P.M. Otherwise, tickets may be purchased at the Stockton ACE rail station or aboard the ACE train on Saturday, August 14. A Wi-Fi train car will be available for Saturday’s special train permitting passengers a way to connect to the wireless internet using their Wi-Fi devices. To learn more about the California’s Great America ACE train schedule, please visit: http://www.acerail.com/cga.aspx. For more details about the San Jose Jazz Festival ACE train schedule, please visit: http://www.acerail.com/sjjazz.aspx. 8/13/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=192492bc-20a0-44d7-95db-7aa8f422ed9chttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifACE knows easy way to San Jose By Jo Ann Kirby August 12, 2010 Record Staff Writer Escape to the city for a fun-filled day without the hassle of East Bay traffic by taking part in one of two Altamont Commuter Express events Saturday. At 9:30 a.m. you can climb aboard an air-conditioned commuter train and head for the San Jose Jazz Festival. Or, if your kids are cool but not that cool, take the other train leaving that morning, headed to California's Great America. "We do some special events a couple of times a year on a weekend. In the past, we've had an A's game event. Last year, we went to the Raiders' opening home game," ACE spokesman D'Andre Berry said. "It's been awhile since we've gone to the San Jose Jazz Festival, and people missed it, so we brought that back. Great America is always a big hit." And the price is right. Regular admission to Great America is $54.99 for adults and $29.99 for kids, plus a $12 parking fee. Take part in Saturday's ACE event, and the price is $50 per person. It includes admission to Great America, round-trip transportation, and an all-you-can eat buffet lunch at the amusement park. The world-renowned San Jose Jazz Festival is in its 21st year. For $22 per person, hitch a ride Saturday on ACE to downtown San Jose and back for the sounds of funk, blues and jazz on eight stages just steps from the station. The ticket includes Saturday admission to the festival - normally $15 - a round-trip ACE ride and free use of San Jose's light rail system. Attending the San Jose Jazz Festival puts music lovers in the heart of downtown San Jose, where restaurants, bars and hotels abound, most of them within walking distance of the festival's stages. Getting around downtown San Jose is easy, with several light rail stops in the heart of downtown. Bruce Labadie, festival director for the $1.2 million event, said he's excited about this year's lineup. Headliners include funk and soul jazz saxophonist Maceo Park, best known for his contributions to James Brown's distinct sound. He will be on stage at 2 p.m. Saturday. Others include Marcus Miller, a bassist and composer, who will revisit the music of Miles Davis - especially the album "Tutu," which he wrote and produced for Davis in 1986. If the sounds of music at the jazz fest make it hard to leave San Jose, there are two options for the return trip. The first train leaves San Jose at 8:05 p.m. Saturday. For those who want to stay overnight, a second train will leave San Jose at 3:20 p.m. Sunday. The Great America train heads home around 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are available at acerail.com or Saturday morning at the downtown Stockton ACE Station, 949 E. Channel St. A full list of departure locations and schedule information can also be found at acerail.com. Discounted hotel rooms for the festival are available at jazzfest.sanjosejazz.org. Contact reporter Jo Ann Kirby at (209) 546-8256 or jkirby@recordnet.com. Visit her blog at recordnet.com/lensblog. If you go ACE events What: The Altamont Commuter Express is offering two round-trip options Saturday for getting out of town. One all-inclusive ticket takes participants to California's Great America. The other destination is the San Jose Jazz Festival. When: 9:30 a.m. Saturday Admission: $50 for Great America; $22 for San Jose Jazz Festival Information: Buy tickets at acerail.com or at the downtown Stockton ACE station, 949 E. Channel St. For a full list of departure locations and the exact schedule, visit acerail.com or call (800) 411-RAIL. 8/12/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=4b03decd-aaa9-4a01-87ca-f6910029bbbchttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifACE sponsors FREE admission for kids at Pixie Woods July 30, 1:56 AM · Christina Rivas-Louie - Stockton Day Trips Examiner The Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) staff is making a special stop at Pixie Woods on Friday, July 30, 2010 and during this visit, the first 300 children, ages two to ten years-old, will enjoy a FREE day at Stockton’s own fairyland amusement park. Children must be accompanied by an adult in order to qualify for free admission. ACE is also bringing some exciting incentives to Pixie Woods. Giveaways will be available for kids and guests will have an opportunity to speak with ACE staff about rail services, including the upcoming August 14 ACE train to California’s Great America. More importantly, during the day, information will be provided by ACE staff about rail road safety. "Working with Pixie Woods gives ACE a great opportunity to work with the community and let them know who we are as well as reminding kids to be safe around rail road tracks" says D'Andre Berry, ACE’s Strategic Development & Communications Assistant. ACE rail provides weekday commuters an alternative mode of transportation via train with several scheduled stops between Stockton and San Jose. However, an extraordinary ACE package is scheduled for Saturday, August 14 when ACE will run round-trip to California’s Great America. For $50.00 per person, the California’s Great America package will include the rail ticket, all-day Saturday entrance to the park, and a hot dog lunch buffet. Lastly, as a reminder, when near rail road tracks or at rail road crossings, ACE suggests everyone follow these safety tips in order to stay safe: Never drive around lowered gates. Never walk around or behind lowered gates at a crossing. DO NOT cross the tracks until the lights have stopped flashing and it is safe to do so. Be aware that trains do not follow set schedules—Any Time is Train Time! Never walk down a train track; it is illegal and it is dangerous. By the time a locomotive engineer can see a trespasser or a vehicle on the tracks, it is too late. Pixie Woods is located on the Northwest corner of Louis Park near Occidental and Shimizu in Stockton, CA. Parking is free. The park is open July 30 from noon to 5:00 P.M. For more information about Pixie Woods, please visit: http://www.stocktongov.com/pixiewoods. To learn more about ACE rail services or the California’s Great America ACE rail package, please visit: http://www.acerail.com/cga.aspx or call D'Andre Berry at 209-649-5079. Looking for more local fun that is reasonably priced? Receive Stockton Day Trips e-mails by clicking the “Subscribe” button at the top of the page. Pixie Woods' Alice in Wonderland party area. Christina Rivas-Louie Copyright 2010 Examiner.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 7/30/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=4cb4433b-08bd-4464-9bdf-1dbca2437cb4http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifProject to spruce up Miner Avenue By The Record July 13, 2010 STOCKTON - City and rail officials are holding a community meeting Wednesday to introduce a project to spruce up a main thoroughfare stretching from the Altamont Commuter Express station to the Stockton waterfront. Officials are seeking public input to develop a revitalization plan for Miner Avenue. Funded by a grant from the state Department of Transportation, the plan will include strategies and designs to "activate" businesses and "create an attractive and walkable urban corridor," according to organizers. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Robert J. Cabral Station, 949 E. Channel St. Information: Stockton Economic Development Department, (209) 937-8811. 7/13/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=39cf17d4-6fd6-4160-bd3c-89ea63542474http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifHigh speed rail going down wrong track to Bay Area generate electricity. They also stand as the most visible examples of clean power thanks to their close proximity overlooking one of the nation’s most densely populated regions as well as having one of the state’s most heavily traveled freeways pass through them. How, you might ask, did such a high profile location ever end up as a wind farm? The answer is easy. The terrain isn’t exactly hospitable to development or farming. For those reasons - and several others - it would make sense for the California High Speed Rail Authority to revisit its idea of sending the Golden State bullet trains through Pacheco Pass and up the densely populated San Francisco Peninsula where opposition grows to the project with each mile closer the proposed system moves toward downtown San Francisco. Last month, California political columnist Tom Elias suggested trimming back the grandiose and budget busting CSHRA system plan that is predicated on coming up with anywhere from $40 million to $100 million more to make it work assuming they ever survive environmental lawsuits. The Altamont Commuter Express is working on making at least the crossing of the Altamont Hills capable of accommodating high speed trains for its own system. They are also entitled to compete for a share of the $9.95 billion bond measure approved by state voters. The idea is to upgrade tracks in the hills between Tracy and Livermore where trains currently run as slow as 10 mph and instead run them closer to 150 mph. It would reduce the current ACE trip to San Jose from a little over two hours and 10 minutes to 55 minutes. The state high speed rail could tie into the ACE Altamont route. Once on the west side of the Altamont the state high speed trains could tie into BART as well as continue to San Jose at normal speeds. You might even be able to extend BART to Livermore for a direct station tie-in with the ACE/state system to avoid the need for bus transfers. It certainly would be more cost effective than tunneling up the peninsula. At the same time ACE trains could run on high speed rail tracks to Modesto and possibly even as south as Merced. It would be a cost effective way of tying Northern San Joaquin Valley including UC Merced into the Bay Area. Travel time reductions could establish a true regional economy uplifting both sides of the Altamont without polluting the air or jamming freeways. It would also provide better odds of the state rail project actually becoming a reality. Just because they have $9.95 billion in bonds at their disposal plus $2.25 billion in federal funds doesn’t mean they will ever get the system off the ground. If they believe otherwise, they need to look at Dougherty Valley in the East Bay where lawsuits delayed the start of a major residential project for 18 years. The high speed state rail system has the ability to tick off dozens if not hundreds of groups using the California Environmental Quality Act ultimately to fight back. The Altamont routing cuts costs, avoids repetition, and ultimately accomplishes the goal of shorter travel time between Los Angeles and the Bay Area as well as pollutes less. By also arranging a marriage with BART as well as ACE/California High Speed Rail at Livermore the seed would be planted for being able to travel between San Francisco and Sacramento at speeds fast enough to match auto travel time now along the Interstate 80 corridor. And unlike Amtrak’s Capitol service. The high speed system would have a frequency high enough to make it a more plausible alternative. The current state rail system does call for the ACE tie-on but by changing it instead to run the actual trains over the Altamont where they can tie directly into BART you could save billions upon billions of dollars even with extending BART to a direct station tie-in with the high speed rail system in Livermore. You also could substantially reduce opposition to the current state rail route that goes up the peninsula and requires extremely expensive tunneling. The BART trains still would arrive at the TransBay transit station now under construction in San Francisco just as the high speed trains would if they follow the general route of the Cal Train that serves the peninsula. Trains could still run 220 mph between Modesto and the Los Angeles and then slow down once they reach the populated areas in LA and San Diego as Elias suggested. To not seriously consider such an alternative the high speed rail commission is saying they are willing to burn through most of the bond money to accomplish little except employing environmental and design consultants plus a battery of lawyers. http://www.mantecabulletin.com/news/article/15850/7/11/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=00663723-7914-4092-ab40-bcda8e5b0b9fhttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifJune 23, 11:35 PM · Christina Rivas-Louie - Stockton Day Trips Examiner Travelers considering ACE (Altamont Commuter Express) for a weekday summer trip to California’s Great America, may find the ACE website provides several easy-to-use schedules that help passengers determine their timetable needs. For instance, every weekday morning, three ACE trains depart at separate times from the Robert J. Cabral ACE station in Stockton, CA and travel toward the Great America ACE station in Santa Clara, CA. Following the departure, several charming stops are made in Lathrop/Manteca, Tracy, Vasco Road, Livermore, Pleasanton, and Fremont. Approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes after the trip begins in Stockton, ACE trains arrive at the Great America ACE rail station. The purchase and validation of an ACE rail ticket allows free transportation aboard ACE green shuttles on the same day. Three consecutive ACE green shuttles depart from the Great America ACE rail station and within approximately eight minutes; the shuttles arrive at the Old Mountain View-Alviso/Great America stop. California’s Great America is a short walk from the shuttle stop to the amusement park. Following a fun day at California’s Great America, passengers can revisit the same ACE green shuttle stop with a choice of three afternoon shuttle timeframes that will return passengers to the Great America ACE rail station. The ACE green shuttle ride lasts approximately twelve minutes before arriving at the Great America ACE station. Three successive ACE trains leave the Great America ACE rail station and arrive at the Robert J. Cabral ACE rail station approximately 1 hour and 58 minutes following departure. To help coordinate a weekday ACE trip to California’s Great America, here are some ACE train and ACE shuttle schedule options. Westbound from Robert J. Cabral ACE station to Great America ACE station: ACE #1 departs at 4:20 A.M. ACE #3 departs at 5:35 A.M. ACE #5 departs at 6:40 A.M. Route 823 ACE green shuttle from Great America ACE station to Old Mountain View-Alviso/Great America shuttle stop: Trip #1 departs at 6:14 A.M. Trip #2 departs at 7:29 A.M. Trip #3 departs at 8:34 A.M. Route 823 ACE green shuttles from Old Mountain View-Alviso/Great America to Great America ACE station: Trip #1 leaves at 3:25 P.M. Trip #2 leaves at 4:24 P.M. Trip #3 leaves at 5:24 P.M. Eastbound from Great America ACE Station to Robert J. Cabral ACE station: ACE #4 leaves at 3:47 P.M. ACE #6 leaves at 4:47 P.M. ACE #8 leaves at 5:47 P.M. The Robert J. Cabral ACE station is located at 949 E. Chanel Street in Stockton, CA. The Great America ACE station is located at 5099 Stars & Stripes in Santa Clara, CA. California’s Great America is located at 4701 Great America Parkway in Santa Clara, CA. ACE train and shuttle information are from: http://tickets.acerail.com/fares.asp Learn more about California’s Great America at: http://www.cagreatamerica.com/index.cfm Great America ACE Station Christina Rivas-Louie Copyright 2010 Examiner.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 6/23/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=1b0f1f27-c36c-4bfc-a28b-35ba47d110b7http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifJune 21, 8:13 PM · Christina Rivas-Louie - Stockton Day Trips Examiner This summer, avoid the freeway commute and hop aboard ACE (Altamont Commuter Express) for a unique journey from Stockton’s Robert J. Cabral ACE station to California’s Great America amusement park in Santa Clara, CA. While aboard the ACE train, take pleasure in the beautiful landscapes leading from the Central Valley to the Santa Clara Valley and have the benefit of train amenities during the trip such as bicycle stalls, accessibility for the disabled, restrooms, dim lit cars, power receptacles, water fountains, and heating and air conditioning. ACE trains leave weekday mornings from Stockton's Robert J. Cabral ACE station for the Great America ACE station. ACE drops off passengers and picks up more people along the way in Lathrop/Manteca, Tracy, Vasco Road, Livermore, Pleasanton, and Fremont before the Great America ACE station. Within minutes of arrival in Santa Clara, waiting shuttles provide easy and free transfers from the Great America ACE station to California’s Great America. When it is time for the return leg of the trip, on the same day, it is just as easy to get back on track with the shuttle system that returns to the train station. For the Santa Clara destination from Stockton, selections of five ACE ticket options are available for adults to purchase: one-way is $11.75; round-trip is $21.00; weekly is $105.00; 20 trips is $163.25; and monthly is $300.00. Children ages 5 and under ride ACE for free per paying adult and children ages 6-12 years old receive a 50% discount on rail tickets. California’s Great America amusement park entertains guests with thrilling rides, entertaining attractions, a refreshing water park, plus so much more. Admission tickets cost $54.99 per adult and $24.99 per senior or per child ages 3 and older. Park hours are 10:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. Monday through Thursday and on Friday’s the park closes at 10:00 P.M. until mid-August. The Robert J. Cabral ACE rail station is located at 949 E. Chanel Street in Stockton, CA. The Great America ACE rail station is located at 5099 Stars & Stripes in Santa Clara, CA. California’s Great America is located at 4701 Great America Parkway in Santa Clara, CA. For information about ACE schedules or to purchase rail tickets, please visit http://tickets.acerail.com/fares.asp Learn more about California’s Great America at: http://www.cagreatamerica.com/index.cfm#actions Author Christina Rivas-Louie is an Examiner from Stockton CA. You can see Christina's articles at: "http://www.Examiner.com/x-49146-Stockton-Day-Trips-Examiner" 6/21/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=e38d6080-9cde-4862-ba36-137f233fc8a9http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifJune 20, 11:25 AM · Alan Kandel - Fresno Transportation Examiner In the June/July 2010 California Rail News, there is an article about the Altamont Commuter Express’ future expansion plans. In the article: “ACE Sets Plans For An Upgrade,” Train Riders Association of California (TRAC) Board Member Robert Reynolds explains, “California Rail News recently sat down with ACE Executive Director Stacey Mortensen and Strategic Development and Communications Coordinator Thomas Reeves to look at the future of this vital link.” ACE operates on 86 miles of Union Pacific trackage between Stockton and San Jose. ACE was launched in 1998 to provide commuter rail services, largely to Bay Area workers living in the northern San Joaquin Valley, as a viable alternative to busy Highway 580 over the Altamont Pass. ACE has truly done an admirable job of providing such service. In addition to all the other discussion in the article, “Service could extend to Sacramento and Fresno but that has not been decided,” writes Reynolds. It’s important to note a Bay Area bedroom community Fresno is not, at least not yet. So, right now, I’m not so sure bringing ACE here makes sense. But this doesn’t mean that Fresno shouldn’t have some form of passenger rail feeder service to integrate into and coordinate with Amtrak and air travel via Fresno Yosemite International Airport currently and/or high-speed rail, which, incidentally, is on track to arrive in the Central Valley’s largest city in the not-too-distant future. So, Reynolds raises a very valid point here, a point that should not be dismissed. Some have argued and some may argue still that Amtrak San Joaquin service in the Central Valley will be unneeded if HSR gets built. Which, if true, is all the more reason why feeder rail systems should be worth their weight in gold and then some. By the time HSR does arrive, people traveling between the central city core and outlying communities should by all means have this mode available to them. Lightly used rail lines radiating out from central Fresno to the southeast, east and northwest would be ideal corridors with which to move potential scores of travelers to and from Fresno’s HSR station, not to mention to other city-based locations. People may not want to drive their own vehicles due to congestion and/or parking issues and may choose instead to use alternative means to get in and out of the city. Over time, these issues in the Valley may become much more pronounced than what exists right now. So, planning for the future is important. And in that planning, it’s important to take a look at all available modes. As such, rail feeder service is certainly a valid option. The Bay Area, Sacramento and Southern California have incorporated either intercity or intracity rail or both into their transportation networks. These too are projected to get bigger. That people support high-speed train service for California is not surprising and laudable. But rail service should not end there. Coordinated, integrated feeder rail service has its place too. And Fresno should itself be a place where feeder rail thrives. Copyright 2010 Examiner.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. 6/20/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=01da0e4e-8f14-4c8f-a2b1-1464f0410779http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifTracing Tracy Territory: A sneak peek at high-speed rail by Sam Matthews / TP publisher emeritus 06.17.10 - 10:00 pm When Tracy Mayor Brent Ives visited Japan recently, he took a glimpse at what he hopes to be the future of high-speed rail in our area. “It was a great trip,” he said. “If our high-speed system will look anything like they have in Japan, it will be wonderful.” In addition to serving as Tracy’s mayor, Ives has been a member of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission for 18 years. The fact that the rail commission has a role in developing high-speed rail in this region created added interest. The visit the mayor and his wife, Lynda, took to Japan from May 8 through 14 gave the Ives a chance to ride on a high-speed train — called Shinkansen in Japanese — along the eastern coast of the main island of Honshu. “We took the Shinkansen from Sendai to Tokyo, a 218-mile trip that took less than two hours,” Brent reported. “What I saw was a train that was fast, comfortable and safe.” Brent, who had made a reservation with his Japan Railcard, said the bullet train took off from Sendai station on time — “right to the minute.” No Amtrak-like delays there. Once under way, the Shinkansen gained speed steadily until it approached 150 mph. Maximum speed is 186 mph. “We were going very fast, but you couldn’t notice it much at all inside the smooth-riding train,” Brent said. “Then, when an approaching train whizzed passed us in several seconds, you could get an idea of our speed.” According to Brent, the electrically propelled Shinkansen traveled over dedicated tracks that rolled over flat farmland and through tunnels that minimized curves and grades. “It was a comfortable ride. In fact, Lynda fell asleep while I was talking to a Japanese official,” he said. “And the car was packed — high-speed rail is very popular in Japan.” The Japanese official was Masadhi Hiraish , deputy director of the Office of Global Strategy for Railway Development. “He told me how the high-speed rail system was started in 1964 with an $80 million loan from the World Bank, coupled with Japanese funding,” Brent recounted. The rail facilities are constructed by a government corporation and then leased to three private Japan Rail companies — JR West, JR Central and JR East. The government provides oversight and coordination. The system now covers 1,352 miles, with another 725 miles planned or under construction, including a major extension to the northern island of Hokkaido, where Tracy’s sister city, Memuro, is located. “Loans are continuing to be the major funding mechanism,” Brent said. There were only two stops on the 218-mile trip. The Ives were told that at stations where feeder lines join the main high-speed lines, cars from the feeder train — of the same design as those on the main line — can be attached to the main-line train, so passengers can remain in their seats for the entire trip. “This concept is important for us, since the rail commission is in charge of planning the line between Merced and Sacramento and also the feeder line that parallels the ACE route of today,” he said. Brent acknowledges that Japan is a densely populated country of 127 million, so rail travel has traditionally been a larger factor in the country’s transportation mix than in the United States. Japan leads the world in annual rail-passenger miles. “That doesn’t mean that high-speed rail can’t be successfully developed here,” he said. “We in California have a chance to be a leader.” Passage of $9.5 billion bond issue in 2008, augmented by $2.5 billion in federal funds, has moved planning ahead for a project that could ultimately cost close to $100 billion. The main San Francisco-to-Los Angeles route will take trains over the Pacheco Pass between Gilroy and Los Banos, but an extension from Merced north to Sacramento also is planned. From that extension, a feeder line will be established from north of Modesto along the route of the Altamont Commuter Express to San Jose. The route through the Altamont Pass will have to include several tunnels to permit speeds approaching 100 mph. ACE trains now average 35 to 40 mph over the Altamont Pass. At Vasco Road east of Livermore, a common platform will allow passengers to switch between the high-speed rail and Bay Area Rapid Transit trains. “The BART line in central Livermore will be tunneled a part of the way in central Livermore, where an underground station will be located,” Brent said. And yes, the high-speed line could pass through central Tracy, although the route has not yet been determined. If the central Tracy location is selected, there is a possibility the tracks could be below-grade, allowing MacArthur Drive, Central Avenue and Tracy Boulevard to pass overhead without requiring expensive overpasses. Brent said Japan is eager to be a major player in developing high-speed rail in California. The Japanese consulate in San Francisco has a specialist in this area on its staff. Of course, countries like Germany, Spain and China also have an eye on the California high-speed rail future. While in Japan, the mayor and his wife visited Tracy’s sister city of Memuro. There they met up with Tracy teenagers visiting Memuro as part of the annual sister city youth exchange program. “We were treated royally,” Brent reported. “And, oh yes, we paid for the entire trip ourselves.” • Sam Matthews, Tracy Press publisher emeritus, can be reached at 830-4234 or by e-mail at shm@tracypress.com. © tracypress.com 20106/17/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=61015f85-bd56-40ec-bbf4-b8cfe795be62http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifTravelogue: Altamont Commuter Express Lathrop to Fremont June 10, 7:54 PM · Patrick Patterson - Modesto Railroad Examiner Ace train #3 at Manteca.A commuter train would seem like an odd place to find rail history as well as unique scenery, however the Altamont Commuter Express provides commuter service between the San Joaquin Valley and the South Bay and is an opportunity to discover some rail treasures. I boarded from the Manteca/Lathrop station. The ACE train has a different design than the Amtrak cars I had become accustomed to. The design was more utilitarian. However, it was not uncomfortable. The conductor only came through a couple of times to check on tickets, and the biggest difference between Amtrak and ACE is the lack of food service on ACE. (Amtrak is always making announcements about its cafe car.) The first segment from Manteca to Tracy ran mostly parallel to I-5 before crossing under the freeway near the Tracy Prison. From there, the track runs westward through the edge of town. Like most rails the evidence of decaying industry is well represented. After a quick stop in Tracy, the line continues westward until a northward turn to run parallel to Interstate 580. After a westward turn under I-580 the route begins climbing its namesake Alatamont Pass. This passes near ranches and wind farms, and for several miles the only roads around are dirt. As the line runs near the ridge the roadbed from the former Southern Pacific line that dates back to the first transcontinental railroad can be seen running parallel at a lower elevation. As both rights of way cross I 580 the ex SP right of way goes through a tunnel whose entry is still in evidence. The two lines continue running parallel along Altamont Pass Road. There are various pieces of evidence of rail history still in evidence along this stretch of road. The most obvious is an old water tower adjacent to the ex Western Pacific tracks where the ACE is running. The train finally descends into Livermore. There are two quick stops in Livermore as the train passes through downtown. Between Livermore and Pleasanton the train passes under an old coaling chute. These chutes date back to the days of steam where coal tenders needed to be refilled. Leaving Pleasanton the tracks run parallel to I-680 before entering Sunol where they pass through the Niles Canyon. The ACE does not share the tracks with the Niles Canyon Railway, but uses the modern tracks that run parallel. However, the storage yard for the NCRy can be seen briefly before entering the canyon. The Fremont station was where I stepped off the train. The Fremont-Centerville station is a completely restored 1928 Southern Pacific station. In addition to ACE, it is also a stop along Amtrak's Capital Corridor line. Ace provided a comfortable ans scenic ride between Manteca and Fremont. It was quite an enjoyable experience 6/10/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=0c902f4e-4ff2-4e45-a883-165df2757cd6http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifContra Costa Times Posted: 06/07/2010 12:00:00 AM PDT LIVERMORE — A proposal to link Stockton and San Jose via high- speed rail will hinge largely on the placement of the future Livermore BART extension — a decision that officials say they hope to make sometime this summer. Once a BART-to-Livermore alignment is selected, it will be used to help shape plans for the proposed Altamont Corridor Rail Project, said Altamont Commuter Express director Stacey Mortensen. In May, the California High Speed Rail Authority unveiled a mix of potential routes for the project, which likely would begin in Stockton, extend south through Lathrop or Manteca, continue east to Tracy, cross the Altamont and stop in Livermore to link up with the new BART extension. From there, a range of options include routing through Dublin-Pleasanton along the Interstate 580-680 corridors; following the existing ACE train tracks; or using the Highway 84 corridor to Sunol. The dates for public workshops, which will be held later this summer to gather input on the high-speed rail alternatives, have not yet been decided. "As BART refines its options (for the extension), how the Altamont service would meet BART has to be refined," Mortensen said, adding, "You can't really start having those conversations until you know where (BART) is going to end up." The Livermore City Council in April unanimously voted in favor of a BART alignment that would place one underground station in the downtown area and another above ground station along Vasco Road. BART's board of directors, which has the final say on the matter, tentatively is scheduled to discuss the extension June 24. The Altamont Corridor Project, which is being led by ACE and the California High-Speed Rail Authority, is part of a much larger vision to connect the entire state with high-speed trains. Though the estimated $40 billion system long has been a dream in California, funding for it was nonexistent until last year. The passage of Proposition 1A allocated $9 billion in state bond funds for the development of an 800-mile, statewide rail network between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Officials say the funds also can be leveraged to secure federal matching funds to make the state's high-speed rail dream a reality. Still, the project is a long way off: The environmental review is expected to conclude in 2013; construction would follow, pending available funding. Yet another hurdle to overcome will be opposition from the city of Pleasanton and its residents, many of whom have said they don't support running trains through their community. Contact Jeanine Benca at 925-847-2125. 6/7/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=266c281a-e21b-416b-8108-474530b53a98http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifACE trains stopped for training exercise Training for law enforcement set to run all week by Glenn Wohltmann Pleasanton Weekly Staff If you saw the police and firefighters on the ACE (Altamont Commuter Express) trains this morning -- don't worry, it's just a training exercise, and it'll be going on all week. ACE Spokesman Thomas W. Reeves said it's a Transit Safety Administration (TSA) exercise, set to run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. through Friday. "Law enforcement, bomb squads, fire departments from all around the valley will be involved," Reeves said. "They're bringing in K-9 units, basically the whole nine yards." While the ACE trains are stopped on the tracks, Reeves said they shouldn't be blocking any traffic. In April, ACE conducted a similar training exercise for 120 firefighters in Santa Clara, teaching them equipment operation and how to access it under emergency conditions. 6/1/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=ab9cc424-829a-47a1-a909-15250b79b162http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifPrint This Article dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com 209-249-3532High speed trains down 120 Bypass? Part of ACE alternatives to connect to Modesto Proposed high speed rail Altamont Commuter Express trains could zip along the Highway 120 Bypass median by 2020 to serve Modesto. The sleek, modernistic trains would slash the current time it takes ACE to go from Stockton to San Jose from a little over two hours and 10 minutes down to 55 minutes. Based on exiting travel times, that means a trip from Lathrop/Manteca could take around 50 minutes. The other possible San Jose to Modesto route for ACE would swing trains after they leave the Lathrop/Manteca station to the northeast so they can then head southward along the Union Pacific tracks that slice diagonally across Manteca’s neighborhoods from Airport Way to Spreckels Avenue. That route, by the way, is one of two alternatives for the Sacramento to Merced California High Speed Rail line. The other two alternatives for the California line swings north along the Austin Road corridor once it reaches Manteca. The other would use the Santa Fe tracks that pass through Escalon. Regardless of specific routes adopted both by the ACE and California high speed rail projects means Manteca will be assured of having not one but possibly two and even three high speed rail lines cutting through the city. The third is one of two ACE routes that would be used to reach Stockton. One goes up along the tracks on the city’s edge that parallels Airport Way to the west and the other is on tracks that parallel Airport Way to the west. Should the 120 Bypass route be picked, the easterly route to Stockton and either the Austin Road or Union Pacific track alternatives used for the California high speed routes are pursued, Manteca would then have three high speed rail lines cutting through the city. It would essentially make Manteca the crossroads of high speed rail in California. Two possible routes to Modesto That is just one part of the Altamont Railroad Corridor Project that was presented to the California High Speed Rail Authority last week. There are two potential routes for reaching Modesto. One would continue the tracks eastward toward Escalon roughly a mile south of East Highway 120 until it joins up with the Santa Fe Railroad right-of-way that is being considered as one alternative for the Merced to Sacramento leg of the California High Speed Rail Project. The other would swing south just short of the 120 Bypass with Highway 99 and join up with the other California High Speed rail alternative route along the Union Pacific tracks that parallel Highway 99 through Ripon and Stockton. Two high speed rail routes for the ACE project are being considered in the Lathrop/Manteca area. One is at the existing location on West Yosemite Avenue just inside the Lathrop city limits and the other is near Louise Avenue and the westerly UP tracks through Lathrop. Either option essentially kills a proposal by developers in Lathrop to build a transit center involving residential, commercial, and business park near McKinley Avenue just north of the Highway 120 Bypass by relocating the ACE station. Among the 52-page scoping document prepared for the ACE high speed rail project were the following comments: • The U.S. Department of Interior considered about potential impacts to Yosemite and Sequoia Kings Canyon national parks. • The City of Milpitas is against an elevated structure along the Interstate 880 corridor due to concerns it would block business signage. • The California Public Utilities Commission believes all at-grade tracks where a high speed train runs should be required to have fencing or another type of barrier. • Union Pacific has made it clear it will not provide any segments of its system the proposed high speed rail project. • The San Joaquin Rail Commission wants a station in the Manteca/Lathrop area. The next step is to prepare a draft environmental impact report on the alternative that will be complete sometime in 2012. The final EIR adoption is targeted for 2013 for the ACE system. High speed state trains could reach 220 mph The California High Speed Rail Authority electric trains – capable of speeds up to 220 mph that would only be attained in “isolated” stretches such as between Merced and Bakersfield – could travel between Modesto and Stockton on three possible routes on an elevated structure. Two of those three routes cut through Manteca in a bid to make it possible to travel from Stockton to Los Angeles in one hour and 59 minutes with the system designed to ultimately handle a train every five minutes. The run time between San Francisco and Los Angeles including stops is expected to take two hours and 38 minutes, between Sacramento and Los Angeles two hours and 17 minutes, and between Sacramento and Merced 43 minutes. Voters in 2008 passed a $9.95 billion bond statewide that allows the funding for the next phase of work which is plotting exact routes. The goal is to formally certify by 2013 the environmental documents for the Merced to Sacramento line which includes a possible route through Manteca. The overall system – expected to cost $50 billion – could break ground in 2015 on the initial segment between Los Angeles and San Francisco via the Pacheco Pass. The other legs – Los Angeles to San Diego and Merced to Sacramento – would move forward in future phases. Train stations would be limited along the route and would be located in major metro areas or critical locations such as Stockton, Sacramento, Modesto, Merced, Bakersfield, Fresno, and Los Angeles. Go to www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov for more information. RELATED CONTENT FAST FACTS • WHAT: Altamont Commuter Express High Speed Rail • TOP SPEED: 150 mph plus vs. 79 mph today • SCHEDULE: Hourly service all day long in both directions compared to the current four trains per day each way http://www.mantecabulletin.com/news/article/14294/5/12/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=d62de461-bed4-4e53-b6f1-bd5235303956http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifCentral Valley’s commuter railroad faces major changes SACRAMENTO May 11, 2010 7:49am • Improvements coupled to bullet train build-out • The way to San Jose at 150 mph The Central Valley could become more of a suburb for Silicon Valley if plans to upgrade the Altamont Commuter Express commuter trains move forward. The upgrades would see trains whistling between Stockton and other Valley cities and San Jose at speeds up to 150 miles per hour. The higher speeds could cut the Stockton-San Jose travel time to about one hour compared to a trip that now takes over two hours on ACE. Diesel locomotive-hauled ACE trains would be replaced with state-of-the-art electric trains that are faster and more environmentally friendly, the plan says. The new system would allow for quick intercity trips between regions, commuter access to job centers, and connections to local transit systems such as BART and California’s High-Speed Train network, say supporters with the Altamont Corridor Rail Project. With top speeds on the Altamont Corridor at 150 miles per hour or higher, the project would be compatible with the California High-Speed Train system, which will operate at speeds up to 220 mph in the Central Valley. “This could allow Altamont Corridor Express trains to run from Merced to San Jose or from San Jose to Sacramento – utilizing High-Speed Train infrastructure from Sacramento to Merced,” says the Altamont Corridor Rail Project. Copyright ©2010 Central Valley Business Times No content may be reused without written permission. An online unit of BizGnus, Inc. All rights reserved. 5/11/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=4b7f196b-f726-4c22-8c24-4c0c01abe442http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifBy Jeanine Benca Contra Costa Times Posted: 04/27/2010 02:36:06 PM PDT Updated: 04/27/2010 05:53:52 PM PDT LIVERMORE — After a divisive, emotionally charged public hearing, the City Council voted unanimously Monday in favor of a plan that would place one underground BART station in the downtown area and another above-ground station along Vasco Road. However, the council's decision is just a recommendation. BART's board of directors, which tentatively is slated to discuss the proposed Livermore extension June 24, will have the final say. If approved, the estimated $3.8 billion downtown/Vasco station alignment could force the removal of more than 80 housing units, mostly near the site of the proposed downtown station, officials said. The plan angered those who argued it was too costly, would take too long to build and would unnecessarily disrupt neighborhoods. "Every dollar spent on this incredibly expensive project is a dollar not available to projects important to other areas," argued Valerie Raymond, a critic of the plan. Meeting attendees were divided, with about half of the 50 or so who spoke saying they disapproved of the council's choice. Most opponents said they favored laying future BART tracks along the freeway and having a station at Isabel Avenue. Others said they loved the idea of having a station downtown. "I believe it will make an impact on the viability of downtown," said Len Alexander, executive director of the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center. The route favored by Livermore leaders would extend from the Dublin-Pleasanton station, traveling at grade along the freeway to East Airway Boulevard and Portola Avenue, then continue as a subway along the East Airway Boulevard-Portola Avenue-Junction Avenue corridor to an underground downtown station near the downtown Altamont Commuter Express station-transit center. The tracks then would rise to being at grade along the existing Union Pacific Railroad corridor, terminating at a station near the ACE station, not far from the national laboratories and the site of the future Livermore iHub. Nine alternative routes were studied in a draft program environmental impact report. The selected route is a hybrid alignment that reflects desires expressed by many members of the public during city-sponsored workshops, Livermore staff said Monday. Though some other alignments would appear to have lower price tags (an Isabel Avenue/I-580 station would cost just over $1 billion by contrast), the downtown/Vasco plan is the only one with real "transit-oriented development potential" — a piece essential to securing state and federal funding for the project, city officials said. The route also would produce the greatest reduction in vehicle miles traveled, have the highest projected increase in BART riders, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality more than any other route, city leaders said. Contact Jeanine Benca at 925-847-2125. 4/27/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=a8a2513a-0465-485a-a98b-437cfe86545bhttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifBy Richard Wronski, Tribune reporter 5:43 p.m. CDT, April 25, 2010 Doug Denson enjoys commuting on Metra instead of driving downtown, but he'd like it a lot more if he could use WiFi to download documents, dash off e-mails or polish a PowerPoint. "It's an hour ride for me, so it's an hour of lost productivity if I don't do something," Denson, a company CEO from Medinah, said as he traveled on his Milwaukee West line train. Denson and other laptop-toting commuters are learning what people from Boston to San Francisco already know: Having Internet access on trains — the same kind of WiFi available in coffee shops and libraries — can help riders be more productive, save time or simply make a humdrum ride more fun with a little Web surfing. But WiFi doesn't fly on Metra. The commuter rail agency, which still punches tickets by hand and only recently started taking credit cards, says providing wireless Internet is too expensive and technologically challenging. Sign up for home delivery and save up to 28% >> Those reasons aren't stopping transit agencies elsewhere from joining the broadband bandwagon. Cities big and small have overcome the hurdles and added WiFi, or will soon. This month, New Mexico's Rail Runner commuter line serving Albuquerque and Santa Fe opened free WiFi service to its 4,500 riders. Next month, New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to open bids from companies that want to offer Wi-Fi to the 300,000 daily commuters on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North lines, the nation's busiest. WiFi proponents say making trains rolling hot spots, whether for free or for a small charge, is attracting new riders and encouraging people to leave cars at home. "The response from riders has been overwhelmingly positive," said Scott Farmelant, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail Co., which started WiFi two years ago. Transportation experts say WiFi isn't just a frill. They liken it to installing air conditioning on coaches decades ago. "It shows that public transit offers 21st century amenities," said Virginia Miller, spokeswoman for the American Public Transportation Association. "People are becoming more technology-oriented, and their long commutes on trains give them more time to be more productive." A 2007 study, conducted for the Illinois Department of Transportation at the direction of the legislature, concluded that providing broadband Internet access on Metra and Amtrak could "have positive impacts on traffic congestion, traffic safety, the economy, and other aspects of the quality of life Illinoisans enjoy." In particular, the study said WiFi offers more telecommuting options for workers. Installing it would also create jobs. Laptop users are already a common sight on Metra trains these days. No local studies are available, but about 71 percent of commuter rail travelers carry a laptop, PDA or WiFi-capable device and would use the services of wireless Internet connections, according to WiFi Rail Inc., the company that provides service on San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit. Metra says commuters who need a mobile Internet connection can buy the service through their cell phone providers. But this is costly — fees range from $20 to $60 a month extra — and users say service on trains is spotty. In California's Silicon Valley, some high-tech companies even give their employees credit for time they spend working while commuting on the Altamont Commuter Express, which started offering WiFi in 2003 aboard its trains between Stockton and San Jose. Last month, Amtrak began offering free wireless on all 20 of its high-speed lines that operate on the East Coast. WiFi is also available on commuter bus lines in more than 20 cities and intercity coaches such as Megabus. After a successful pilot project on one train line in the Boston area, the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail now runs at least two WiFi cars per train on its 13 lines. The cars are emblazoned with a bright orange logo from AT&T, which provides the service. Boston's system cost about $1.3 million in startup fees, but officials predicted they will make up the costs with new customers. So why no WiFi for Metra's 150,000 daily riders? Metra says it doesn't have the money to install equipment along its 11 rail lines. "We barely have enough money to operate let alone add such a luxury," Metra spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet said. The IDOT study estimated that the equipment to provide reliable, quality Internet access could cost $12,000 to $15,000 per mile of track. So, for Metra's 550 miles of track, the cost could be about $6.6 million. Experts, however, say the technology is much cheaper and better now. "The infrastructure was doable then; it's even more doable now," said Ramavarapu "RS" Sreenivas, an engineering professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who oversaw the study. New York's MTA, with an $800 million budget shortfall, doesn't plan to pay anything for WiFi installation, spokesman Aaron Donovan said. MTA asked potential providers to pay for the equipment and service themselves. In return, MTA plans to offer incentives, such as advertising considerations. MTA's Internet might not be free because companies may be allowed to charge customers, Donovan said. Metra has met informally with companies that provide wireless Internet service, but they are willing to participate only if they can advertise aboard trains, perhaps with the kind of video screens common in elevators, Pardonnet said. "We think it would be sort of compromising to the passengers because we would be forcing them to see and hear something they may not want to see and hear," Pardonnet said. "They are pretty accustomed to the way they travel now, so we don't know if that trade-off is really worthwhile." Besides, Metra says it's not sure customers want or need the service. "A lot of people have air cards or have a connection (to the Internet) through their phones anyway," Pardonnet said. "It's not like we've had a lot of people crying out for WiFi on the trains." Nevertheless, Metra Director James Dodge, whose background is information technology, says he's eager to put WiFi aboard Metra. "It's on our radar screen; we're just not sure how to pull it off now," Dodge said. "I certainly wouldn't mind because there are plenty of times I work on the train." State Sen. Michael Bond, D-Grayslake, whose legislation last year compelled Metra to accept credit cards, said he will continue to push for WiFi on Metra. "It's all a matter of bringing Metra into the 21st century. I had to drag them kicking and screaming to take credit cards," Bond said. "People will wonder why didn't we do it a long time ago." 4/25/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=7c385c83-421c-40f1-8b4a-293dfd7e75e5http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifBy Zachary K. Johnson Record Staff Writer January 21, 2010 12:01 AM STOCKTON - The proposed statewide bullet train is still years away, but a study just getting under way will do more than just measure the environmental impacts of building a new high-speed rail system.The study also will consider where to place additional rail stops inside San Joaquin County, potentially bolstering a regional rail system connecting parts of the county to San Jose, Sacramento and destinations in the San Joaquin Valley. This regional system would feed into the proposed 800-mile high-speed rail system spanning California's population centers with trains that can reach 200 mph at times between a limited number of stops. One of those stops is planned for Stockton. "This is an opportunity to get the regional service in place," said Brian Schmidt, director of planning and programming for the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission. "This is a sort of steppingstone to build up to the high-speed service."Wednesday marked the first of four "scoping" meetings for the Sacramento-Merced leg of the high-speed rail line. A draft environmental study could be ready in 2012, and construction could begin in 2015 or 2016, rail officials said. It's part of the environmental review process taking place for eight other segments in the Bay Area, San Joaquin Valley and Southern California, according to the California High-Speed Rail Authority. On top of that, the process began for an ancillary route connecting Stockton to San Jose, which would speed up and expand the existing Altamont Commuter Express and could connect to high-speed rail or regional stops along the Stockton-to-Merced corridor. The environmental study of the corridor will look at effects on everything from air quality and noise to agricultural resources and housing. There will be effects, but the study also will show how they can be mitigated, said Dan Leavitt, deputy director of the California High-Speed Rail Authority. High-speed rail stops can give an economic boost to cities, such as Stockton, that are trying to revitalize their downtowns, he said. "It will help catalyze that revitalization," Leavitt said. Contact reporter Zachary K. Johnson at (209) 546-8258 or zjohnson@recordnet.com. 1/21/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=5a18f747-239c-4865-a8b2-d3b4832d6881http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifMerced Sun-Star People jump off the ACE train at the Lathrop-Manteca station Friday Aug. 4th, 2006 around 5:30pm. Marty Bicek/The Modesto Bee Even before any high-speed rail whizzes through Merced, county residents may see more and better rail services because of money from Proposition 1A. As part of the mandate for high-speed rail, already existing transit systems, especially commuter and intercity rail lines, will be improved and possibly expanded so that existing lines can act as feeders to high-speed rail hubs. For Merced that may mean improving the existing Caltrans-run Amtrak service, the San Joaquin. It could also add new commuter train services between Sacramento and Merced, with a link to San Jose. And both projects could come before the high-speed rail system is built, state and regional transportation agencies said. Merced Mayor Bill Spriggs, who has been involved with planning such an extension for the last three years, said a commuter train from Merced to San Jose may be in the works. "There is a possibility that it comes on line before high-speed rail," said Spriggs. The potential new service could be run by or modeled on the existing commuter rail service based in Stockton called the Altamont Commuter Express. ACE runs three times a day from Stockton to San Jose, according to an ACE spokesman. A working group of regional governments and ACE representatives hopes to team up with the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) to use or dovetail off its right-of-way along the Highway 99 corridor. "We are jointly trying to develop something with the High-Speed Rail Authority." said Stacey Mortensen, ACE's executive director. ACE had wanted to use Union Pacific's right of way for an extension to Merced, but the rail company won't grant ACE right of way on its tracks, said Mortensen. In addition to a possible new commuter service, Amtrak's three state-run services, including the San Joaquin, are scheduled for improvement, said Matt Rocco, a spokesman for Caltrans. The agency will administer $190 million of the funds mandated by Prop 1A for improving existing intercity rail systems, among other transportation services. Both these projects will be partly paid for through the high-speed rail's proposition as part of a previously agreed upon rail rehabilitation agreement, said Mortensen. Of the $950 million allocated, ACE will get roughly $15 million. But funding for improvements on ACE's existing lines will also come from the $9 billion Prop A1 bond, which isn't yet carved up, she said. Eventually, when the Prop 1A money is divided up, part of it could also be used for an ACE expansion to Merced and Sacramento. But any potential Merced to San Jose commuter service expansion would require regional matching funds, said Mortensen. The high-speed rail bond, Prop 1A, passed by voters in 2009, included $950 million for capital improvements of existing urban, commuter and intercity rail lines that will facilitate linkages with high-speed rail. Some $100 million of those funds will go to state-funded intercity rail. Of that money, at least $47.5 million will go to the existing Surfliner, Capitol and San Joaquin Service. The other $760 million will go to existing commuter rail passenger services, such as ACE, according to the CHSRA. Reporter Jonah Owen Lamb can be reached at (209) 385-2484 or jlamb@mercedsun-star.com. 1/13/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=ed4c12fd-ec29-4c0e-8ea6-13c59bf6bc3ehttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifRiders railed against tight quarters, and ACE officials listened By The Record January 13, 2010 January 13, 2010 12:00 AM STOCKTON - San Joaquin County rail commuters got back some breathing room on their ride to the Silicon Valley, with the Altamont Commuter Express adding to its trains a sixth car that had been removed last year because of a drop in passengers. With ridership dipping during the recession, ACE officials had cut back to five-car trains. It didn't work. The remaining riders felt crowded. They weren't happy. Using e-mails, comments to on-board staff and passenger surveys, they let officials with the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission know it. The commission owns and operates ACE, which began service in 1998. "We heard it loud and clear from passengers," spokesman Thomas Reeves said. "We wanted to show passengers we're being progressive with feedback." The number of riders had fallen as jobs became more scarce. 2009 also saw the number of trains making the daily round trip from Stockton to San Jose reduced from four to three. Trains that head west during the morning commute come back east when the workday is done. But ridership hit a benchmark figure last week that showed riders could be coming back, Reeves said. On Jan. 4, the number of passengers heading in one direction reached 1,500 for the first time since October. Prior to that date and one day in October, the last time ACE reached that figure was in June. Adding a sixth car to each train will cost about $20,000 a year per train. The increase in labor, fees and storage from the additional car is minimal, with the cost coming from fuel and maintenance 1/13/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=8898c882-4908-4009-b6da-fc8edec67f6bhttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifBy Kim Santos Contra Costa Times Posted: 01/12/2010 10:38:17 AM PST Updated: 01/12/2010 11:10:51 AM PST SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY — Congressman Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, announced Wednesday that key transportation, public safety, and education projects in San Joaquin County will receive federal funding. The following will receive funds: Operation Peacekeeper Youth Gang Outreach Program, $200,000; Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) Alignment Project, $300,000; Give Every Child a Chance Job Mentoring Program, $500,000; San Joaquin Regional Operations Facility construction, $500,000; Interchange at 1-5 and French Camp Road, and Arch-Sperry Road construction, $800,000; Metro Express-Airport Way Corridor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project, $2.8 million. In addition to these projects, areas of California suffering from air quality challenges, including the San Joaquin Valley, are set to receive $10 million to provide for the replacement of older diesel engines. These grant funds are intended to help improve air quality throughout the region. Contact Kim Santos at 925-847-2129. 1/12/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=bfa806ed-00db-4354-addf-21ee7ba75301http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gif1/6/2010 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=4391e5b1-e51b-46e2-8b5a-d2d5dad02534http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gif12/20/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=145ec411-8033-467c-914c-0484fc6f962fhttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifWorkshop Takes Input on BART Station DesignsBy The Independent The work of determining what BART stations in Livermore might look like began last week with the first of three scheduled workshops. Development, parking, and impacts, such as noise, traffic and aesthetics, are all being considered. There are five potential station sites: Isabel/580, Isabel/Stanley, downtown, Greenville Rd. at 580 and Vasco Rd. near the current ACE station. Workshop participants first heard information regarding the stations. Isabel/Stanley and Vasco Rd. were identified as infill stations. These stations have development potential. Freeway access is limited. Those arriving at the station would be a mix of pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers, and riders of public transit such as by bus or the ACE train. Freeway intercept stations, Isabel/580 and Greenville Rd., have relatively low development potential. Most people would drive to the stations. The downtown station provides potential for infill development. Access from the freeway is limited. Many riders would arrive by walking, riding a bike or other forms of public transportation. Bonnie Nelson of Nelson/Nygaard, a consultant, stated, “Stations with lots of parking are not an effective way to build ridership. Once the parking spaces are filled, you’re done unless you find other ways to get people to the station.” In addition, she said building parking lots is very expensive. One hundred spaces an acre generates 400 rides a day. The cost to build each space is $20,000 to $29,000. Housing close to transit is likely to provide more than one rider per day. They would arrive at different times throughout the day. “Transit oriented development (TOD) is the best, most efficient way to build ridership,” declared Nelson. She provided some examples. About 85 percent of those arriving at the Dublin-Pleasanton BART station drive. At the Rockridge station, which includes TOD, only about 50 percent drive; 37 percent of the passengers walk to the station. Abby Thorne-Lyman, Strategic Economics, discussed the economics. She noted that those who are able to take transit cut transportation costs in half. A family who is auto dependent, spends 25 percent of household income on transportation. That drops to 9 percent when transit is the main source of travel. Throne-Lyman said that TOD provides an opportunity to build housing types that may not otherwise be built. Density uses infrastructure more effectively. “Knowledge based” workers, such as scientists and engineers, have a tendency to take transit, according to one study, said Thorne-Lyman. “That would be a boost for Livermore’s economy.” It is not always about new development. She said a downtown Livermore station would reinforce and strengthing the downtown and existing neighborhoods, without necessarily adding new development. Greg Tung, of Freedman, Tung & Sasaki, talked about constraints and positives at the various sites. The Isabel/580 site has limited development potential because of the hillside protection ordinance, urban growth boundary and the airport protection zone. Development at Greenville is also limited by the urban growth boundary, nor are not there many areas available where uses could change. In addition, there is little opportunity for interaction with nearby uses. Isabel/Stanley is near existing neighborhoods. It is also near quarries. Development potential would be impacted by the UGB and airport protection zone. Neither of the first three sites is very walkable. There is more opportunity for development at Vasco Road. Nearby industrial land uses could be converted to mixed use. It is close to major employers, such as the national laboratories. Switching land use, could provide walkability. The downtown site is already built-out. The area is very walkable for potential riders because of the small blocks and many streets. Participants were divided among tables for the discussion period. Each table was asked to select the highest and lowest priorities for each of the three station types and to list any benefits and concerns about bringing BART to Livermore. There was limited time given to reporting the results. One theme that appeared to emerge following discussions by participants was that any downtown station should be underground. In addition, a downtown station should be paired with a station nearer the freeway, so that people wanting to travel on BART did not have to drive into the downtown. Any freeway station should have lots of parking. It was noted that issues concerning the Isabel/Stanley and Vasco Rd. were totally different. Vasco Road had more potential for development and was close to employment. The greatest benefit to bringing BART would be to connect Livermore to the rest of the Bay Area more easily. It could increase the vitality of the city. Concerns included noise, crime and the potential for overdevelopment/sprawl. There was concern about the blight of aerial structures. The second workshop is Dec. 10. The final one is scheduled for Jan. 21, 2010. They all take place from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Shrine Event Center, 170 Lindbergh Ave., Livermore. http://www.independentnews.com/fullstory1.php?arch_id=628 11/19/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=c8582969-fd3d-48b7-a306-2b929be91f2fhttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gif11/13/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=20e15f09-6539-4f39-84d9-bf40197dddcbhttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifOur Voice: Put Tracy on the high-speed agenda by TP Editorial Board 11.11.09 - 02:01 am If you’re one of the thousands of local residents who rides the rails or sits in traffic on the way to and from work, there’s good news to be had at a Thursday meeting in Stockton. The Altamont Pass is being eyed as a link between branches of a planned SoCal-to-NorCal high-speed rail network. And from 3 to 8 p.m. at 555 E. Weber Ave., you can tell officials what you need from the plan that could remake the Altamont Commuter Express into a more efficient, more seamless transportation choice for those with business over the hill. The Altamont Corridor Rail Project is our portion of the state’s plan for a high-speed rail system, approved by voters in 2008. It foresees a regional rail link between the planned high-speed lines ending at San Francisco and Sacramento, with stops along the way. One of those stops should be in Tracy. Another should be in Livermore. 11/11/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=ed729dea-128d-4c83-9b37-85a2916b5f73http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gif11/10/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=e389bd73-c8e0-467f-b575-54761aff3b0bhttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gif11/9/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=fec4ce16-bdf3-4d1b-83b8-9607f25d1837http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gif11/8/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=18654a40-0430-4561-894c-c41b3a4d0053http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifACE: To San Jose in 55 minutes Corridor competes for high-speed rail bonds By Dennis Wyatt dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com POSTED Nov. 8, 2009 2:56 a.m. The Altamont Commuter Express could mark its 20th anniversary by running hourly, pollution free trains that would cut the current trip between Stockton and San Jose down from two hours and 10 minutes to as little as 55 minutes. That is the targeted end result of the Altamont Corridor Rail Project. The initial scoping meetings – conducted open house style - includes a gathering Thursday, Nov. 12, from 3 to 8 p.m. at the San Joaquin Council of Governments offices at 555 E. Weber Ave. in Stockton. The meeting is designed to provide answers about possible routes, issues to be discussed in the environmental impact analysis, and to gather input on what community priorities should be for the project. 11/8/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=bc751797-0890-48a0-b022-f414621d779ahttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gif10/7/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=91674430-cf79-4721-82e3-cd955557b7f9http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifACE has one car equipped for mobile Internet access; more are planned By Zachary K. Johnson Record Staff Writer October 07, 2009 12:00 AM BETWEEN TRACY AND STOCKTON - The county landscape rushed past the windows of the ACE train Thursday afternoon as commuters heading home from jobs in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley chatted with fellow passengers, listened to music or typed away on their laptops. A few of the laptop users checked e-mail or kept working, tapping into the Internet through wireless services provided by cellular phone companies. But cell phone towers and the signals they transmit can be few and far between in the sometimes hilly terrain traversed by the Altamont Commuter Express. Man-made terrain blocked the signal to Steve Rodriguez's laptop as the train pulled into the downtown Stockton station. Rodriguez, an information technology manager, said he can still get a lot of work done during his commute, but if ACE offered broadband Wi-Fi access on his train, he would have more options on what he could do to get work done. "If it works in an airplane, I can't see how it can't work on a train," he said. It does, according to ACE officials, saying that after six years since the first attempt to bring Wi-Fi to ACE, they have figured out a way to make it work. When ACE first rolled out trains equipped with Wi-Fi in 2003, it was a landmark occasion. It was touted as being the first passenger train in the country to offer Wi-Fi. But service was spotty. Even when the service was available, riders complained about the slow connection when too many people tried to access the Internet at once. 10/7/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=d8ddceee-cc95-412b-933f-480ba2692829http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gif10/6/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=3b148b21-ee81-4604-aefa-3ebf4c7fc863http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifby Eric Firpo/ TP staff The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission will spend about $1.8 million to put new 24-hour-a-day surveillance cameras on train platforms from Stockton to San Jose by next spring. Last week, the commission voted to spend more than $142,000 to design the cameras that can sweep Altamont Commuter Express platforms and parking lots. In the case of the main station in Stockton, the cameras will record areas inside the building, as well. The cameras will have sophisticated software with “video analytics,” which in this case means they will have the ability to zoom in and read license plate numbers. Facial recognition software is not part of the cameras, officials say. Footage from the cameras will be fed live to police agencies, according to ACE officials. It will also be viewed by commission employees 24 hours a day and stored for at least seven days. Grant money from the federal Department of Homeland Security will be used to pay for the cameras, said Steve Walker, head of security for the rail commission. Homeland Security grant money will also be used to familiarize fire crews and police officers with ACE trains, as well as to conduct a terrorist training exercise next year, Walker said. Tracy firefighters will spend three days in November with an ACE train car so they can get to know its ins and outs, how to shut down a train if needed, and how to turn off the fuel supply, just in case there is an emergency, Walker said. The cameras are expected to be installed by next spring. They will replace cameras that have covered San Joaquin County platforms and stations for about 10 years. For the first time, cameras will survey stations beyond Tracy. “The hope is to prevent something from happening,” Walker said, “to passengers, to trains, to property.” Commission cameras that are now in place in San Joaquin County have no ability to record footage. Nor are they plugged in to police stations, as the new cameras will be. Wireless technology could even give officers the ability to view footage from the new cameras in their patrol cars, Walker said. Allowing police to view footage in real time lets them see something firsthand, instead of relying on someone else’s description of suspicious activity, behavior or items. The cameras and training exercises are part of a broader effort to make the trains, stations and platforms more secure. Walker says it’s all part of Homeland Security’s “prevention and deterrence” practices — akin to ACE suggesting to riders, as it recently did, “If you see something, say something.” “We want to make sure we’re doing everything we can,” Walker explained. Between train departures and arrivals, ACE employees shoo away people who hang out on the platforms or in the parking lot, where Walker has caught people having sex in cars or merely eating lunch. “If someone’s just sitting there,” he said, “we have to be proactive. We don’t want people hanging out in the lot.” © tracypress.com 200910/6/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=8bde338b-f721-4885-812a-79fb53a0efachttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gif10/2/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=ee4dc105-c784-4d11-9634-69f9a85b4b8ehttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifThe brakes may be put on the midday run of the Altamont Commuter Express. With unemployment up, the number of riders taking the Stockton to San Jose train is down, say ACE train officials. A public hearing on a plan to end the midday run will be held Friday in Stockton. The proposal calls for ACE's No. 7 train, which leaves Stockton weekdays at 9:30 a.m. and arrives in San Jose at 11:40 a.m., to be suspended along with its return train, the No. 2, which leaves San Jose at 12:05 p.m., arriving in Stockton at 2:15 p.m. ACE's three other trains that handle the morning and evening commutes will not be affected. Ridership has plummeted as the unemployment rate has spiked, said Thomas Reeves, ACE's special projects coordinator. Roughly 77,000 people rode ACE in August 2008; This August, that number dropped to nearly 54,000, Reeves said. Rather than increase fares, it "makes more sense to cut the train that has the least amount of people that take it," Reeves said. Only 50 people, or about 5 percent of ACE's annual ridership, take the midday train in each direction daily. In addition, the fourth train costs between $700,000 and $800,000 to run, an expense ACE hopes to slash, Reeves said. ACE is already anticipating another hit to its $15.9 million 2009-10 fiscal year budget when it collects less-than-expected local, state and federal money from sources like the sales taxes from Measure K, the ½-cent transportation tax. Late in August, the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, which manages ACE, voted to open a 30-day public comment period about nixing the fourth train. If the midday train is suspended at the commission's meeting, service would stop Oct. 26. Still, the fourth train could be reintroduced when the unemployment rate declines. Reeves said the midday train could return later, resurrected in a different run time, leaving San Jose at 6:40 p.m. and arriving in Stockton at 8:50 p.m. Currently, ACE's latest train leaves San Jose at 5:35 p.m. Passengers waiting for the midday train at the Lathrop/Manteca stop on Thursday were not pleased at the prospect of losing their ride. Maria Horabuena, 46, a hairdresser from Manteca who was traveling to Fremont to meet her husband for lunch, said she preferred the afternoon time, as did visiting family members. "I even have people over who use this back and forth," she said. And Eileen Jack, a 69-year-old retiree from Salida on her way to San Jose to pick up her truck, said, "To me, this is the best time to go. It's more convenient for me." Jack said she prefers taking the train to driving over the Altamont Pass. "The way people drive is dangerous," she said. "I better go the ACE way." Friday's hearing will be held at the 8 a.m. meeting of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, South Hall Board Room, 949 E. Channel St., Stockton. ALTAMONT COMMUTER EXPRESS What: Hearing on proposal to eliminate midday ACE Train service. When: 8 a.m. Friday. Where: Meeting of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, ACE train office, South Hall Board Room, 949 E. Channel St., Stockton. Details: Visit www.acerail.com or call 800-411-7245. Comments: E-mail comments to Brian Schmidt, director of planning and programming, at brian@acerail.com.9/27/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=160d5c58-97c9-4d3a-8894-c5673c79be94http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifBrakes put on midday ACE runBy Zachary K. Johnson August 29, 2009 Record Staff Writer STOCKTON - Three years after rail officials added a fourth ACE train between Stockton and the Silicon Valley, low ridership and economic concerns have the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission preparing to suspend that midday run. The fourth Altamont Commuter Express leaves Stockton at 9:30 a.m., then turns around in San Jose and heads back east at 12:05 p.m. On average, it carries about 50 passengers a day, compared with the 350-to-400 riders on other trains, according to the Rail Commission, which owns and operates ACE. The midday run accounts for 5 percent of all of ACE riders and costs between $700,000 and $800,000 annually. The hope is to bring the fourth train back into the schedule, but closer to peak commute times. That won't happen until ridership increases, and the number of commuters taking ACE to work has been decreasing as the recession has reduced employment on the other side of the Altamont Pass, ACE officials said. "We're so tied to the jobs picture," Executive Director Stacey Mortenson said. In July 2008, ACE had more than 80,000 riders, an average of about 3,700 a day. In July of this year, ACE had 55,600 riders, or 2,600 riders a day. The midday train was part of a partnership between ACE and the California Department of Transportation. It was meant to add a rail option during the widening of Interstate 205, which connects Tracy to the Altamont Pass. It also worked to connect Amtrak to San Jose through ACE rather than by bus. The Rail Commission board set a public hearing for adoption of the service reduction for Oct. 2. Regular commuters have used the midday train if they needed to alter their schedule, Mortenson said. "It's like a safety net." But most of the 50 or so people who use the train every day are "discretionary" riders rather than commuters, she said. That seemed to be the case among the scattered people waiting to catch the 9:30 in downtown Stockton on Friday morning. Jerry Kindle, 32, uses the train every week to visit family in Fremont. Loss of the train would mean he'd have to wake up earlier and try to find a spot on a more-crowded train, he said. April Hill, 48, and her daughter, Denisha Hill, 13, would have taken an earlier train to visit their family for the weekend if the 9:30 hadn't been available. The family car had broken down and it was their first time taking the ACE train, April Hill said. Wanda Standart goes from Stockton to San Jose on the train to visit family twice a month, she said. If ACE decides it needs to stop that service to be more cost-effective, she understands. "(But) I wouldn't like it." Contact reporter Zachary K. Johnson at (209) 546-8258 or zjohnson@recordnet.com. 8/29/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=f72160da-6202-4a8a-9c05-c94941f39e0chttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifACE riders may lose midday train to cutsby Eric Firpo / Tracy Press 08.26.09 - 12:00 am The recession has taken cars off the road, and now it’s poised to do something similar to the Altamont Commuter Express train. The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission that oversees the commuter train could vote in October to eliminate ACE’s midday train that leaves Tracy at 9:59 a.m. and returns from San Jose at 1:39 p.m. Ridership for ACE has fallen 15 percent from what it was a year ago, and for the midday train, the number of riders is plunging. In Tracy, 29 percent fewer riders used the midday service this summer compared with this time last year. For the week of Aug. 10, an average of 16 passengers hopped on the midday train at the station on South Tracy Boulevard, said ACE spokesman Thomas Reeves. Puny ridership is costing ACE a lot of money. Any ACE train costs about $700,000 a year to run, but with the small number of commuters on the midday train, it only recovers about $140,000 from passengers. And though the train gets money from other sources, such as the Measure K sales tax, ACE is still running the trains at a big loss. ACE’s operating budget is about $15.9 million. Reeves said fares paid by roughly 3,000 riders on popular morning commuter trains can cover about 60 percent of the cost to run a train, plus shuttles from train stations to destinations in the Bay Area. Shuttles cost about $200,000 a year per train, Reeves said. The midday train was never the boon for ACE some thought it might be when it was added in 2007. Rather than bringing in new riders, Reeves said, it’s mostly used by regular ACE riders who decide for whatever reason to work shorter days. With the midday train lagging far behind others, analysts recommended that commissioners ax the service. Commissioners are scheduled to vote at an Oct. 3 hearing. Talk of adding an evening train, a popular idea with commuters, is also out the window. Overall, the number of people who take the ACE train has dropped by about 2,000 in the past year. “Unfortunately, ridership is declining systemwide,” Reeves said. • Contact a Tracy Press editor or reporter at 830-4280 or tpnews@tracypress.com. 8/26/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=d5d058ce-3bb8-46d3-9860-dfd98814fdcahttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifFree Wi-Fi for ACE commutersBy The Record August 23, 2009 STOCKTON - Altamont Commuter Express passengers can now access free Wi-Fi service on their commute. The service is available on the train car closest to the locomotive on the ACE 03 to San Jose and the ACE 06 to Stockton, according to the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, which owns and operates the ACE train. This is the first phase of the project, and expansion to other trains depends on demand and available funding, according to the rail commission. The access, provided by Palo Alto-based Hobnob, provides Internet speeds comparable to DSL and T-1 connections, according to the commission. ACE 03 leaves Stockton at 5:35 a.m., and ACE 06 leaves San Jose at 4:35 p.m. Information: www.acerail.com. 8/23/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=267a2eae-0df8-4c36-ab39-85f3fc149a1bhttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifArea train lines offer discounted tickets to Raider's games By Larissa Klitzke Staff Writer Posted: 08/17/2009 12:00:00 AM PDT The Capitol Corridor and Altamont Commuter Express trains are providing discounted transit to Raiders home games for the 2009 football season. The Capitol Corridor train, which runs between Sacramento and the Bay Area, is offering a 25-percent discount for adults, and a 50-percent discount for two children younger than 15 per adult rider, to the Oakland Coliseum for all daytime home games this season. The discounted tickets amount to $36 round-trip for adults or $18 round-trip for children. The line has offered the discounts for three years, said Luna Salaver, Capitol Corridor public information officer. ACE, which runs between Stockton and San Jose, is also offering discount ticket packages. The ACE Train 50 Package includes one ticket to the Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos game Sept. 27, one round-trip train ticket, and a meal package at the Oakland Coliseum for $50. 8/17/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=4ffb50eb-691d-4c97-ad24-56332976e460http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifACE eyes WiFi on two more of its train cars Commuters could tap into cyberspace on the go if the Altamont Commuter Express gets permission to spend $33,000 of a local gas tax to install wireless Internet service on a few Bay Area-bound trains. The Measure K tax money will be used to install equipment on three train cars this year, so commuters can freely access the Internet on their way to and from work. Installation costs about $11,000 per car, according to ACE staff reports. 8/6/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=b250b76f-1001-4310-9395-42d8f0ce7525http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifAmtrak, ACE offering deals for travel to Raiders games7/27/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=42cd3df5-f709-45e4-910f-2176b95ec42ehttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifConstruction to start soon on ACE maintenance building 7/27/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=a1263d6c-58b2-406a-915a-639fbdb69fbbhttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifSharpe Army Depot employees rescue man trapped on tracks in Manteca By Mike Martinez STAFF WRITER Posted: 06/17/2009 12:41:41 PM PDT Updated: 06/17/2009 04:41:08 PM PDT LATHROP— A handful of employees at the Sharpe Army Depot are being hailed as heroes after they rescued a man from a pickup truck that was resting upside down on some railroad tracks moments before it was struck by an oncoming Altamont Commuter Express train this morning. 6/17/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=59226967-bdbd-4ad4-850f-5d709d7936b6http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gif6/11/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=497af50f-a100-4c12-9e9c-b522696cdc9ahttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifAt my age, ACE ride is wild enough6/10/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=63fd0abc-647d-481f-b769-3a43aafe691chttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gifACE trains to get new air conditioning; Tracy platform to be extended6/3/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=0abc1f9f-46a3-41a6-ae07-1617026e3a0dhttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gif5/9/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=6dfc5a44-3589-4051-8f42-cb3d846ac97ehttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gif4/25/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=f20e838c-87ed-49d3-b0f8-6de73665169ahttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gif4/17/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=7138b8b9-4e9b-436e-8c7c-6268c0a4b9e1http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gif1/6/2009 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=3a0bb44e-ed95-4937-8b6b-9e45c7507b80http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gif10/12/2008 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=b01b5797-3380-47dc-b5b5-5240c02abd5bhttp://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gif7/18/2008 12:00:00 AMhttp://www.conductormax.com/ContactMAX.aspx?Subject=RSS%20News%20Item%20Comment&NewsItemId=ACE In The Newshttp://www.conductormax.com/News/NewsItemViewer.aspx?NewsItemId=e7e7b317-bf7a-48cd-94ab-ff2abf6dfe41http://www.conductormax.com/images/newsitems/DefaultACENewsItem.gif