Downtown Rail Extension (DTX)
As California’s population grows rapidly and is expected to reach more than 51 million in the year 2030, the Downtown Rail Extension Project (DTX) will help bring the Caltrain rail line underground into the heart of San Francisco, taking drivers off the road, eliminating 36,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year and connecting San Francisco to the rest of California via future California High Speed Rail.
Caltrain
Caltrain already serves as a vital regional link by connecting San Francisco to the Peninsula, Silicon Valley and San Jose but it currently ends 1.3 miles from downtown San Francisco. The second phase of the Transbay Transit Center Project, slated to begin when fully funded, will modify the existing Caltrain station at Fourth and King streets and extend the Caltrain rail line downtown into the new Transit Center near the heart of the Financial District so that more commuters have access to public transit. Extending Caltrain into downtown directly saves commuters almost an hour a day in travel time, and will result in less driving and more people taking the train into the City from the Peninsula. More than 33,000 Peninsula passengers will use the Transit Center each weekday.
The underground rail line will run beneath Second Street and is being designed to accommodate future High Speed Rail and rail connections to the East Bay, making the new Transit Center the future hub for High Speed Rail in Northern California.
California High Speed Rail
By connecting all major cities in California with a state-of-the-art new transportation choice, high-speed trains will increase mobility while reducing air pollution and green house gas emissions. The 800-mile fully grade separated train system will span the length of California, eventually connecting San Francisco to Sacramento, Los Angeles and San Diego, with additional service to the Central Valley
California High Speed Rail will allow trains to travel at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour, similar to high speed trains in Europe and Japan, reducing the travel time between San Francisco and Los Angeles to 2 ½ hours, transporting up to 32 million intercity passengers annually and another 10 million commuters. It will connect with existing rail, airway, and highway systems, allowing intercity commuters and long distance travelers easier access to metropolitan regions and other transit options, reducing traffic conditions and improving air quality by taking people out of their cars and off our freeways. This will help address traffic congestion in California cities, projected to be among the nation’s worst by 2025.
CHSR will return twice as many benefits to the state’s citizens as it costs, delivering a surplus to the state of more than $300 million, encouraging further economic stability by increasing tourism and stimulating local economies.
For additional information on California High Speed Rail, please visit the California High Speed Rail Authority’s website at: www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov
