Gold Line
Gold Line short turn train street running through Downtown Sacramento
Overview
LocaleSacramento, California
Termini
Stations27
Service
TypeLight rail
SystemSacramento RT Light Rail
ServicesRoute 507
Operator(s)Sacramento Regional Transit District
Daily ridership16,770 (Q2 2018)[1]
History
OpenedMarch 12, 1987 (1987-03-12)
(as Watt/I-80–Downtown–Butterfield)
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
ElectrificationOverhead line, 750 V DC
Route map
 Sacramento Valley Station
Amtrak Bus interchange
Green
 County Center (7th & I │ 8th & H)
 8th & K
Blue
 7th & K
(closed 2016)
 7th & Capitol │ 8th & Capitol
8th & O
Bus interchange
 Archives Plaza
 13th Street
R Street Yard
 16th Street
Bus interchange
Blue
Valley Rail
 
(2026)
 23rd Street
 29th Street
Bus interchange
Business Loop 80 (CA).svg
I-80 BL
Capital City Freeway
 39th Street/UC Davis Health
Bus interchange
 48th Street
 59th Street
 University/65th Street
Bus interchange
Amtrak San Joaquins
US 50 (1961 cutout).svg US 50
 Power Inn
Parking Bus interchange
 College Greens
Bus interchange
 Watt/Manlove
Parking Bus interchange
 Starfire
US 50 (1961 cutout).svg US 50
 Tiber
 Butterfield
Parking
 Mather Field/Mills
Parking Bus interchange
 Zinfandel
Bus interchange
 Cordova Town Center
Bus interchange
US 50 (1961 cutout).svg US 50
 Sunrise
double track
single track
 Hazel
Parking
US 50 (1961 cutout).svg US 50
 Iron Point
Parking
 Glenn
Parking
 Historic Folsom
Parking
SVRR
Handicapped/disabled access All stations are accessible

The Gold Line is a light rail transit line in the Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT) light rail system. Operating between Sacramento Valley and Historic Folsom stations, the line runs primarily east-west in Sacramento (including downtown, Midtown, East Sacramento), portions of unincorporated Sacramento County, Rancho Cordova, Gold River and Folsom. Segments of the Gold Line run along the system's original alignment between 16th Street and Butterfield stations, which opened for service in 1987. The line has run in its modern configuration since June 2005, with extensions completed since then to Folsom and the downtown Amtrak station.

History

A CAF trainset Train at Mather Field/Mills station

The first light rail line of the RT, which opened in 1987, was an 18.3-mile (29.5 km) route between Watt/I-80 station in North Sacramento, through downtown, and continuing east on Folsom Boulevard to Butterfield Way station. It was built at a cost of $176 million USD ($453 million adjusted for inflation), which included the cost of vehicles and maintenance and storage facilities.[2] Much of the line, when it was first built, was single-tracked, though improvements over the 1990s allowed much of the original system to be double-tracked. The line was built mainly using the Sacramento Valley Railroad right-of-way,[3] coupled with use of structures of an abandoned freeway project. A limited portion of the route runs on streets, mainly in downtown Sacramento.

A CAF LRV at Archives Plaza Station

The line became more popular than anyone anticipated, necessitating further expansions and improvements. Two new stations at 39th and 48th streets opened in 1994,[4] and a 2.3-mile (3.7 km) extension to the Mather Field/Mills station was completed in 1998.[5] In June 2004, a further extension from Mather Field/Mills to Sunrise was opened.[6] On September 26, 2003, the South Line (now part of the Blue Line) opened for 6.3 miles (10.1 km) between the 16th Street station on the Watt/I-80-Downtown-Mather Field/Mills line and a station at Meadowview Road in the south end, which is the first phase of a planned longer 11.2-mile (18.0 km) line to Elk Grove. Much of the extension follows a railroad right-of-way. When it opened, 7 new stops were added to the system.

In June 2005, following a reconfiguration of the light rail system, the Sunrise–Downtown Line was created (trains formerly continued beyond the downtown St. Rose of Lima Park station to Watt/I-80); it runs from St. Rose/K-Street to Sunrise with an extension to the Folsom area that opened on October 15, 2005.[7] It has since been redesignated in color as the Gold Line. On December 8, 2006 it was extended even further to the downtown Amtrak depot (a.k.a. the Sacramento Valley Station), connecting the light rail system to the national rail system for the first time.[8]

As of 2020 headways are limited to 30 minutes on the line due to single tracking on the east end between Parkshore Drive and Bidwell Street. Sac RT released a study in 2020 on the possibility of adding additional passing sidings in the area to run twice as many trains in addition to reconfiguring station platforms for use with new low-floor rolling stock.[9] The project to add a passing loop near Glenn station broke ground in 2023 with completion expected in 2024. This will allow the line to run 15 minute headways which will be operated with new low-floor rolling stock on the line.[10]

Line description

The Gold Line begins at its western terminus in downtown at the Sacramento Valley station where it connects with Amtrak. From there it travels on H Street in a single-track, then diverges into one-way tracks for 7th and 8th Streets where it joins the Blue and Green Lines. It then turns westward on O Street, southward on 12th, then eastward in an alley paralleling Q and R Streets. After passing the 16th Street station, the Gold Line splits from the Blue Line (the Green Line terminates at 13th Street station), crossing over a bridge near The Sacramento Bee headquarters, before continuing on R Street in Midtown. It continues in its own right-of-way in East Sacramento next to Highway 50, then crosses under Highway 50 and parallels Folsom Boulevard and the Union Pacific Railroad Placerville Branch Line, which is partly operational today, for most of its length. Its path was built mainly using the Sacramento Valley Railroad right-of-way.[3] The Gold Line then reaches its eastern terminus at Historic Folsom station in Folsom, although some trains terminate at Sunrise station.

Station listing

The following table lists the current stations of the Gold Line, from west to east.

Key
† Closed station
Station Opened Transfers
Sacramento Valley Station December 8, 2006
7th & I (southbound)
8th & H (northbound)		 2007
  •   Green Line
  • Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: 11, 51, 102, 103, 106, 107, 109, 129, 134
8th & K (northbound only) 2007
  •   Green Line
  • Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: 30, 38, 62, 86, 88, 142 (Airport Express)
  • Bus transport North Natomas Jibe
  • Bus transport Yolobus: 42A, 42B, 43, 43R, 230
St. Rose of Lima Park †
(southbound: 7th & K)		 March 12, 1987 Closed September 30, 2016
7th & Capitol (southbound)
8th & Capitol (northbound)		 March 12, 1987
  •   Blue Line
  •   Green Line
  • Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: 11, 30, 38, 51, 62, 86, 88, 102, 103, 106, 107, 109, 129, 134, 142 (Airport Express), E10, E11, E12, E13, E14, E15, E16, E17, E18
  • Bus transport North Natomas Jibe
  • Bus transport Roseville Transit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10[11]
  • Bus transport Yolobus: 42A, 42B, 43, 43R, 230
8th & O
  •   Blue Line
  •   Green Line
  • Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: 11, 51, 102, 103, 106, 107, 109, E10, E11, E12, E13, E14, E15, E16, E17, E18
  • Bus transport North Natomas Jibe
  • Bus transport Yolobus: 42A, 42B, 43, 43R, 230
Archives Plaza
13th Street
16th Street
  •   Blue Line
  • Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: 106, 109, E10, E11, E12, E13, E14, E15, E16, E17, E18
23rd Street Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: SmaRT Ride Downtown–Midtown–East Sacramento
29th Street
  • Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: 38, 67, 68, SmaRT Ride Downtown–Midtown–East Sacramento
  • Bus transport Mercy General shuttle
  • Bus transport Sutter shuttle
39th Street/UC Davis Health July 14, 1994
48th Street Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: SmaRT Ride Downtown–Midtown–East Sacramento
59th Street March 12, 1987 Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: SmaRT Ride Downtown–Midtown–East Sacramento
University/65th Street
Power Inn
College Greens Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: 161
Watt/Manlove Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: 72, 84
Starfire Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: 84
Tiber
Butterfield Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: 78, E19
Mather Field/Mills September 6, 1998 Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: 21, 72, 75, 78, SmaRT Ride Rancho Cordova
Zinfandel June 11, 2004 Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: 175, 176, 177, SmaRT Ride Rancho Cordova
Cordova Town Center Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: SmaRT Ride Rancho Cordova
Sunrise Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: 124, SmaRT Ride Rancho Cordova
Hazel October 15, 2005
Iron Point
  • Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: F10, SmaRT Ride Folsom
  • Bus transport El Dorado Transit: 50 Express
Glenn Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: F30, SmaRT Ride Folsom
Historic Folsom Bus transport Sacramento Regional Transit: F10, SmaRT Ride Folsom

References

  1. ↑ RT Quarterly Ridership Report (PDF) (Report). Sacramento RT. June 2018. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  2. ↑ Vargas, Dale (March 13, 1987). "Tribulation to triumph". Sacramento Bee. pp. 1, 26. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Long, Roberta Kludt (2015). Folsom. Arcadia Publishing. p. 31. ISBN 9781439650196.
  4. ↑ Gibson, Steve (July 15, 1994). "Two light rail stations open". Sacramento Bee. p. B4.
  5. ↑ Bazar, Emily (September 4, 1998). "Light rail ready to go extra miles – Mather Field Road line becomes first extension". The Sacramento Bee. p. A1.
  6. ↑ Bizjak, Tony (June 10, 2004). "All aboard! RT extension ready to roll – Three light-rail stations open Friday morning in Rancho Cordova". The Sacramento Bee. p. B1.
  7. ↑ Sangree, Hudson (October 16, 2005). "'All aboard' as Folsom says hello to light rail – It's a commuter alternative to Hwy. 50". The Sacramento Bee. p. B1.
  8. ↑ "Sacramento Regional Transit District Fact Sheet" (PDF). Sacramento Regional Transit District. May 2016.
  9. ↑ "Folsom Light Rail ModernizationDouble Track Project" (PDF). AECOM for Sacramento RT. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  10. ↑ Hagerty, Mike; Rodriguez, Tony (November 10, 2023). "SacRT plans to add new, more accessible trains, expand service in Folsom". CapRadio. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Roseville Transit Commuter Bus Services Guide" (PDF). Roseville Transit. April 1, 2020.
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