Altamont Commuter Express
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| Altamont Commuter Express | |
|---|---|
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| Reporting marks | ACEX |
| Locale | San Jose to Stockton, California |
| Dates of operation | 1998–present |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8½ in (1435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Stockton, California |
The Altamont Commuter Express (also known as ACE, pronounced "ace") is a regional rail service in California connecting Stockton with San Jose. It is named for the Altamont Pass, through which it travels. The service was started on October 19, 1998 with two trains daily in each direction, later increased to three trains in each direction, and as of August 2006 runs four trains daily in each direction, including a "midday" train each direction. There are ten stops along its 86 mile (138 km) route, resulting in a total travel time of approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes end-to-end. Despite the fact that the tracks ACE runs on are owned by Union Pacific, ACE rarely experiences long delays as a result. ACE utilizes Bombardier BiLevel Coaches and MPI F40PH-3C locomotives, and is managed by the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, with operations contracted to Herzog Transit Services.
ACE is currently exploring the possibility of expanding on two lines -- a Modesto-Sacramento line, and a Stockton-Pittsburg line [1].
Contents |
[edit] Station stops
- Robert J. Cabral Station, Stockton
- Lathrop/Manteca
- Tracy
- Vasco Road (East Livermore)
- Livermore
- Pleasanton
- Fremont-Centerville
- Great America (Santa Clara North)
- Santa Clara service has been suspended during the Union Pacific track work. ACE is providing shuttle buses during this time. ACE riders may also ride Caltrain for free from Diridon to Santa Clara.
- Diridon Station, San Jose
[edit] Connecting transit
- Amtrak (Capitol Corridor, Coast Starlight, and San Joaquins)
- Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority
- AC Transit
- WHEELS (Livermore-Amador Valley Transit Authority)
- County Connection
- Modesto Area Express
- San Joaquin Regional Transit District
- Caltrain
[edit] Description of the route
[edit] San Jose to Great America
The northbound leaves San Jose's Diridon station and heads north on the main peninsula Caltrain tracks through the large rail yards in Santa Clara, California. As the train passes under De La Cruz Ave, the ACE leaves the peninsula tracks and heads North. The train passes over Central Expressway just west of its intersection with De La Cruz near of the end of the runway of San Jose International Airport. The train then passes over U.S. Route 101 and proceeds along Lafayette St. It then passes to the east of Paramount's Great America, a large substation, and the San Francisco 49ers training facility before stopping at the Great America station under the Tasman Dr. overpass.
[edit] Great America to Fremont
The train proceeds north along Lafayette Dr. passing through a golf course and then under Highway 237. It then turns due north and heads through the Alviso district of San Jose, passing just east of its abandoned marina. The train then heads out into the mudflats and sloughs of the bay. In the middle of the flats, the train passes through the sunken ghost town of Drawbridge. Next along the route are Cargill's (formerly Leslie's) salt evaporation ponds on both sides of the track where the train turns to the northwest. The train then passes a landfill before entering the town of Newark, California. At Baine Avenue, the train makes a 90o right turn. This turn is just a few hundred yards from the point where the track from the historic Dumbarton rail bridge connects in. The journey continues northeast along Baine Avenue and crosses I-880. Just after crossing Fremont Boulevard, it arrives at the Fremont Amtrak station. A historic sign remains on the portion of the station to the south of the tracks. It refers to the city of Centerville, predating the city of Fremont, and includes the distance to both Ogden, Utah and San Francisco, with the distance to S.F. calculated via the historic bridge.
[edit] Fremont to Pleasanton
The train leaves the Fremont station and turns east-northeast to head towards Niles Canyon. It crosses under the BART tracks and heads along Alameda Creek, but it does not interconnect with BART. It then turns north to enter Niles Canyon. The narrow canyon contains two rail lines (One now partially abandoned), Alameda Creek, the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct, and Highway 84. The other rail line in the canyon was the route of the 1869 Sacramento-to-San Francisco Bay extension of the historic First Transcontinental Railroad and is now used by the Niles Canyon Railway. The train passes through a 3/4 mile long tunnel which cuts off one of the canyon's horseshoes. This tunnel was modified from its original configuration to accommodate intermodal double-stack freight trains. However, this left the track in poor condition, causing the train to reduce speeds from 45 mph to 25 mph in the summer, and down to 10 mph during the rainy season. The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission plans to rehabilitate the tunnel as part of their 10-year service improvement plan. Eventually the train emerges into Sunol and heads north alongside I-680. It then passes through the center of Castlewood Country Club before pulling into the station in Pleasanton.
[edit] Pleasanton to Livermore
The train leaves the Pleasanton station and turns east-northeast, paralleling Stanley Blvd. It travels along Stanley Blvd. between Heron Pond and the old quarries. It enters Livermore as it crosses Kitty Hawk Rd., and turns more northwest as it crosses Murrietta Blvd. It then stops in downtown Livermore. It then passes under highway 84 and stops under Vasco Road near the northwest corner of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
[edit] Livermore to Tracy
The train then turns north at the edge of the hills and passes I-580. It then parallels Altamont Pass Rd. The path of the original 1869 Sacramento-to-San Francisco Bay extension of the First Transcontinental Railroad can be seen on the right for several miles. The track is not there, but the bed and some markers remain. The train makes numerous turns as it ascends Altamont pass. A large quarry and several wind farms are visible. The route eventually turns south and then passes under westbound 580 and over eastbound 580. The entrances for a pair of short tunnels on the older route under the summit remain just east of the path. The train then descends from the pass in a southeasterly route before crossing under 580 and over the California Aqueduct and the Delta-Mendota Canal before reaching the valley floor. The train then turns northwest along Schulte Ave and enters Tracy.
[edit] Tracy to Stockton
The train passes under I-205 before crossing the San Joaquin River. It then passes under Interstate 5 and stops in Lathrop. It then proceeds north past Sharpe Army Depot and into the final station in the southeast portion of downtown Stockton.
[edit] Fleet
- Bombardier BiLevel Coaches
- MPI F40PHC-3 locomotives
[edit] Rail/shuttle connections
- San Jose- Caltrain, Capitol Corridor, Coast Starlight
- Santa Clara- Caltrain, VTA San Jose Airport Shuttle
- Great America-Santa Clara Station- Capitol Corridor, VTA Light Rail
- Fremont- Capitol Corridor
- Stockton- San Joaquins (Only two trains per day to and from Sacramento stop at the downtown Stockton station used by ACE; all other San Joaquins trains stop at the nearby Stockton - San Joaquin Street station. Amtrak operates a shuttle between the two stations.
