San Diego Double-Tracking, New Bridges, etc.

[lpetrich]

LOSSAN Rail Corridor Improvements
Lists double-tracking projects for the LOSSAN rail line between Camp Pendleton and San Diego. From "Completed Projects", about half of that trackage is now double-tracked, and they aim at double-tracking 97% of it.

The plans, from north to south:

• San Onofre Double Track -- in Camp Pendleton
• North Oceanside Double Track -- new bridge over the San Luis Rey River
• Oceanside Transit Center -- longer platforms and an additional track through the station
• Carlsbad Village Double Track -- new bridge over the Buena Vista Lagoon - Carlsbad Village station
• Encinitas Ped Crossings -- 4 underpasses
• San Elijo Lagoon Double Track -- new bridge, between Encinitas and Solana Beach
• Los Peñasquitos Lagoon Bridges -- new bridge south of Del Mar
• San Dieguito Double Track -- new bridge, between Solana Bridge and Del Mar
• Sorrento Valley Double Track -- south of the Sorrento Valley station
• Sorrento to Miramar -- further south

Several of the remaining single-track segments include old bridges, usually wooden-truss bridges. That may be why they have taken as long as they have to replace.

[MattW]

I don't keep abreast of western projects like I do eastern routes, are the upgrades simply aimed at increased reliability, or is there an expectation of increased service from this?

[ExCon90]

Some years ago there was a lot of NIMBY opposition to double-tracking through Encinitas (if you double-track it that means you're going to run twice as many trains, right? -- stands to reason. No use explaining that allowing trains to meet at Encinitas may result in the gates going down once for two trains instead of twice, 5 minutes apart). Has the opposition weakened at all, or will Encinitas be part of the 3%?

[lpetrich]

I don't keep abreast of western projects like I do eastern routes, are the upgrades simply aimed at increased reliability, or is there an expectation of increased service from this?

I checked the improvements fact sheet, and it stated both:

SANDAG and its partner agencies are working to improve the San Diego coastal section of the San Diego-Los Angeles-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) rail corridor with the goal of increasing capacity and ensuring the reliability and safety of intercity, commuter, and freight rail services.

At least one bridge has been replaced so far: the one over the Santa Margarita River in south Camp Pendleton near Oceanside: Lossan-santa-margarita. It had a single-track steel-truss bridge dating from 1916, and it now has a double-track concrete-beam bridge. That bridge opened for service on November 18. The old bridge will be removed over the coming months.

This may be typical of the old bridges: Los Peñasquitos Lagoon Bridges Replacement Project, "The bridges require frequent and costly maintenance by NCTD, making replacement the most cost-effective solution." referring to its wooden-trestle bridges from the 1920's and 1930's.