ELVIRA TO MORENA DOUBLE TRACK FACT SHEET

Transportation

The Project

The Elvira to Morena Double Track Project is

one of approximately 20 projects currently in

progress along the San Diego County segment

of the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo

(LOSSAN) rail corridor. This project will add a

2.6-mile second main track from State Route

52 to just south of Balboa Avenue. This new

track will connect to existing double track,

resulting in 10.3-miles of continuous double

track between Control Point (CP) Tecolote

and CP Cumbres. The existing railroad track

will be realigned to straighten several curves

in the north end of the project. In addition,

the project includes new crossovers near

Regents Road (CP Rose) in the railroad right-

of-way, upgrading and building bridges at

five locations to accommodate double track

operations, signal improvements, and ancillary

utility and drainage improvements along the

corridor.

The project is located in the City of San

Diego within the right-of-way owned by the

Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) on tracks

managed and operated by the North County

Transit District (NCTD).

Concurrent with this project, SANDAG is

designing and constructing the Mid-Coast

Corridor Transit Project, an 11-mile extension

of the San Diego Trolley within the same

MTS right-of way. SANDAG is coordinating

closely between the two projects to ensure

smooth construction and effective use of space

and resources. Additionally, the project

has been designed with sensitivity toward

the natural resources of Rose Canyon.

The Need

This project is a critical part of the 351-mile

LOSSAN rail corridor. It serves as a vital link

for passenger and freight movements in San

Diego County. The LOSSAN corridor is the

second busiest intercity passenger rail line in

the United States. Additionally, the corridor

is the only viable freight rail link between San

Diego and the rest of the nation.

Amtrak and NCTD plan on increasing the

number of passenger trains along the

LOSSAN corridor. As concluded in the

previous LOSSAN studies, the project is

needed to: (1) meet the expected increase in

demand for railroad operations through this

TOTAL COST

$192 million

ESTIMATED COMPLETION

2020

(Continued on reverse)

UN

ITED STATES OF AMERIC

A

DEPA

RTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIO

N

UN

ITED STATES OF AMERIC

A

DEPA

RTMENT OF TRANSPORTATIO

N

401 B Street, Suite 800

San Diego, CA 92101

(619) 699-1900

Fax (619) 699-1905sandag.org

SANDAGregion

SANDAGregion

@SANDAG

segment of the LOSSAN corridor; (2) enhance

railroad operational flexibility and schedule

reliability; (3) facilitate future increases in

capacity; and (4) achieve a good state of

repair in this segment of the railroad.

The Benefits

This project will accomplish several goals,

including alleviating schedule delays near CP

Elvira and CP Morena and straightening curves,

thereby providing on-time performance

benefits. This project will improve trip times

for both passenger and freight service, reduce

maintenance costs in curved alignments, and

create additional operational flexibility along

the corridor. In addition, double-tracking

allows trains traveling in opposite directions

to pass without slowing down or stopping,

increasing efficiency and reliability.

Corridor Strategy

During the next 20 years, SANDAG plans to

construct nearly $1 billion in improvements

in the San Diego County section of the

LOSSAN corridor, including a primary effort

to double track the corridor from Orange

County to Downtown San Diego. To date,

approximately two-thirds of the county’s

LOSSAN coastal rail corridor is double

tracked. More than 97 percent of the

corridor is expected to be double tracked by

2030. Other infrastructure improvements

along the LOSSAN corridor include bridge

and track replacements, new platforms,

pedestrian undercrossings, and other safety

and operational enhancements.

Project Status

In March 2015, the project received

environmental clearance with the Federal

Railroad Administration’s approval of a

Categorical Exclusion under the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Construction

on CP Rose signals was completed in 2016.

The remaining work started in spring 2017

and is anticipated to conclude in 2020.

Project Cost

The project is estimated to cost $192 million

and is fully funded. Approximately one-third

of the project is funded through federal

sources and an additional one-third is

funded through state sources. SANDAG has

leveraged the federal and state funding with

TransNet funding, the San Diego region’s

voter approved, half-cent sales tax for

transportation improvements administered

by SANDAG.

For More Information

KeepSanDiegoMoving.com/Elvira

May 2017

4162

Mis

s ion

Bay

Mis

s ion

Bay

P a c i f i c O c e a n

P a c i f i c O c e a n

San Diego River

D ian

e Av

Judicial Dr

Carme l Mountain Rd

ClairemontDrive

BalboaAvenue

TecoloteRoad

ClairemontDrive

BalboaAvenue

TecoloteRoad

Sorrento Valley Rd

N Torrey Pines Rd

Gilm

an D

r

La Jolla PkwyVia Capri

Turquoise St

Mission Blvd

Foothill Blvd Beryl St

Grand AveGarnet Ave

Prosp

ect S

t

La Jolla Blvd

Pearl St

Carroll Rd

Mira Mesa Blvd

Clairemont Mesa Blvd

Jutland Dr

Linda

Vist

a Rd

Convoy St

Genesee Ave

Genesee AveUlric St

Tecolo

te Rd

Friars Rd

Washington StUniversity Ave

Park BlvdFlorida St

Nimitz

Blvd

Point Loma Blvd

Suns

et Cliffs

Blvd

Sea World Dr

More

na B

lvd

Sports Arena Blvd

Ingraham St

W Mission Bay Dr

Miss

ion C

enter

Rd

La Jolla Village Dr

Governor Dr

Nautilus St

Clairemont Dr

Balboa

AveMt

Aca

dia Bl

vd

Torrey Pines Rd

Miramar RdN To

rrey P

ines R

d

BalboaAve

Morena Blvd

Robinson Av

Regents Rd

Genesee Ave

Soledad Mtn Rd

Cami

no R

uiz

Nobel Dr

Voigt Dr

Rege

nts Rd

MCAS MIRAMAR

MISSION BEACH

LA JOLLALA JOLLA

CLAIREMONT MESACLAIREMONT MESA

MIRA MESAMIRA MESA

TORREYHILLS

TORREYHILLS

TORREYPINES

TORREYPINES

UNIVERSITY CITY UNIVERSITY CITY

LINDAVISTALINDAVISTALINDAVISTA

PACIFIC BEACHPACIFIC BEACH

MISSION BEACH

MISSION VALLEY

MISSION VALLEY

MIDWAY/PACIFIC HWY

CORRIDOR

MIDWAY/PACIFIC HWY

CORRIDOR

OLD TOWNSAN DIEGOOLD TOWNSAN DIEGO

MILES

KILOMETERS

10.5

0.5 21

21.5

1.5

0

0

Elvira to MorenaDouble Track Project Location

LOSSAN Corridor

Control Point Morena

Control Point Elvira

Control Point - Rose