The Monterey County Rail Extension project extends passenger rail service from Santa Clara County south to Salinas. This is a transformative project that will revitalize the downtown Salinas train station and create new multimodal transportation hubs for the disadvantaged communities of Pajaro and Castroville.

These multimodal stations will be served by new passenger rail service and bus transit that will provide peak period connections for the residents of Salinas and their north Monterey County, Monterey Peninsula and Santa Cruz County neighbors, to access Silicon Valley, San Jose, the greater San Francisco Bay Area, and Sacramento. In recognition of the importance of service to these populations, the 2018 California State Rail Plan includes the Monterey County Rail Extension Project in the near-term (2022) scenario.

Project Benefits

• Provides new cost-effective rail service as an alternative to the crowded U.S. 101
• Improves commuter access between Salinas and San Jose, San Francisco
• Provides an alternative to traffic congestion
• Facilitates access to jobs, health care, education and shopping
• Expands transportation options for the elderly, young, and disabled
• Reduces commuter stress
• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions
• Promotes economic development around the rail stations
• Benefits low income, majority-minority communities

Phased Implementation

The Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) is pursuing a phased implementation of the Monterey County Rail Extension Project:

1. Kick Start Project: Salinas train station circulation improvements (construction complete!), train layover facility, Gilroy track improvements (happening now!)
2. Pajaro/Watsonville Multimodal Transit Hub: Connection point for Santa Cruz County
3. Castroville Multimodal Station: Connection point for Monterey Peninsula

Christina Watson is the Transportation Agency for Monterey County’s rail program planner. If you have any questions, you can reach her at (831) 775-4406, or via email at: christina (at) tamcmonterey.org.