Alameda Corridor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alameda Corridor |
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Aerial view showing Alameda Corridor trench in South Los Angeles.
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| Overview | |
| Owner | Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority |
| Locale | Los Angeles County |
| Website | acta.org |
| Service | |
| Type | freight terminal railroad |
| Operator(s) | BNSF Union Pacific Railway Pacific Harbor Line |
| History | |
| Opened | April 15, 2002 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 20 mi (32 km) |
| Number of tracks | 3+ |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Operating speed | 40 mph (64 km/h) |
The Alameda Corridor is a special 20-mile-long "expressway" for freight trains. It connects the main train lines near downtown Los Angeles to the big shipping ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. It runs next to Alameda Street. This corridor was one of the biggest transportation projects in the area when it was built. It helps move goods across the country.
Contents
What is the Alameda Corridor?
The Alameda Corridor includes a unique part called the Mid-Corridor Trench. This is a train line that runs underground. It is 10 miles long, 33 feet deep, and 50 feet wide. It has three tracks for trains.
Two major train companies, BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad, use this trench. They share the tracks to move goods. A very important job of the corridor is to carry large cargo containers. These containers travel to and from the busy ports. About 15% of all the nation's container traffic uses this corridor. Trains can travel up to 40 miles per hour here.
The Alameda Corridor helps trains avoid many old, slow train lines. Before this corridor, trains had to go through 90 miles of older tracks. They also had to cross over 200 streets where cars would have to wait. Now, trains can travel faster and without stopping for cars. This makes shipping goods much quicker and easier.
Who Manages the Corridor?
The Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA) is in charge of the corridor. They take care of over 65 miles of train tracks. This includes 125 places where trains can switch tracks. They also manage 10 train bridges and signals at 48 spots. There are also 7 places where roads cross the tracks and several pump stations for rainwater.
History of the Project
The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles bought the land for the Alameda Corridor in 1994. The corridor officially opened for trains on April 15, 2002. By 2006, up to 60 trains were using it every day.
This project has greatly helped reduce traffic jams. It especially eased congestion on the Long Beach Freeway. In 2007, the corridor carried 17,824 trains. These trains moved 4.7 million TEUs, which are like giant 20-foot containers. By 2013, about one-third of all freight going to and from the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports used this railway.
Future Plans
The Alameda Corridor was built so it could be updated in the future. One idea is to add electric wires above the tracks. This would allow electric trains to run. Electric trains would be much better for the environment. They would not use diesel fuel, which causes air pollution. This could help clean up the air in the region.
In 2020, the California Transportation Commission gave $8 million to expand the corridor. This money will help add a fourth track. This will allow even more trains to use the corridor.
Alameda Corridor–East Project
There is another project called the Alameda Corridor–East. This project is building new bridges and underpasses for trains. Many train crossings are currently at the same level as streets. This means cars have to wait a long time for trains to pass. The new project will separate the train tracks from the roads. This will help traffic flow better on north-south streets.
Part of this project is the San Gabriel Trench. This is a $336.9 million project that puts the train tracks underground. Construction on this part started in 2012 and finished in 2017. This project gets money from federal, state, and local sources.
