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A nearly 150-mile railway line connects the two main areas of Southern California is well on its way to becoming a reality, even if it is still many years away. Southern California Store Press-Business reports that a rail project is currently under consideration to help link residents and attractions in the area, and help ease traffic.
Currently, the main route for desert dwellers looking to travel west and back is Interstate 10. The Intercontinental Highway ends its route in Southern California, traveling from the California state line and enters Los Angeles, where it eventually ends in Santa Monica at CA-1, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway. And it can be a pain when it’s congested with traffic. This route will provide millions of drivers with an alternative. The goal, officials say, is to create trains that can compete with cars.
The route is expected to run 144 miles from LA Union Station and through various stations in LA, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties before terminating in the Coachella Valley. But a lot of work has to be done before any kind of construction begins. The red tape is the environmental impact studies that must be completed. A study that will soon begin is expected to cost $60 million, $20 million of which will come from federal grants that local officials must apply for. But officials say all the costs are worth it, especially considering that the service is expected to run on its own dedicated rail line. This means that no service will be interrupted by the local freight system.
Of course, this won’t happen overnight, officials say it will be another 10 years before service can begin. The final price for the railway is expected to reach $1.5 billion.
