From Future on Page 13
The Transcontinental Chief would absorb routes currently served by Amtrak’s Southwest Chief and Pennsylvanian lines, which connect Southern California and New York through stops in Chicago or Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. California State Rail Plan . To help shape the development of rail service, the State of California has adopted the California State Rail Plan , establishing a long-term vision for an integrated, cohesive statewide rail system that offers efficient passenger and freight services, lays out strategies for investments and design to increase the state’s economic growth, improve quality of life, promote equity within the state’s most vulnerable and impacted communities, and advance the state’s ambitious climate action goals.
California High-Speed Rail is intended to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles along a 494-mile route at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour. Despite funding issues, the project remains a key initiative for providing fast, efficient, and environmentally friendly transportation for the state. California’s High-Speed Rail also remains deeply controversial, with proponents arguing it is a necessary infrastructure project that promotes economic development, represents a sustainable transportation option, and advances environmental goals by reducing traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. Critics, however, argue the project has little hope of achieving its goals in a timely or cost-effective manner, and should be scaled down. For the present, State leaders are pursuing the following steps: ■ Central Valley Completion: The priority remains completing the Bakersfield-to-Merced segment, which could serve as a proof of concept for future extensions. ■ Further Federal Funding: Advocates hope for renewed federal funding, possibly as part of larger infrastructure initiatives. ■ Restructuring the Project: There are calls for rethinking the project, possibly scaling it back or focusing on smaller, more manageable segments that could be completed more quickly and serve as regional commuter lines. The High Desert Corridor is a planned 54-mile high-speed rail line that will link the California High-Speed Rail system at Palmdale with the Brightline West route at Victor Valley.
Brightline West is planning to operate 50 trains per day, 25 in each direction, with 45-minute intervals between 5:30 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. The ridership potential for Brightline West could greatly contribute to significant increases in A Line ridership to the Montclair Transit Center, which is already projected to see an estimated 6,200 daily boardings. Montclair’s development plans call for a transit village at the Transit Center, with a passenger terminal and shuttle buses departing every 15 minutes for Ontario International Airport and the Brightline West Station in Rancho Cucamonga. Brightline West was originally scheduled to be completed by 2028, in time for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. However, cost projections for the project recently increased from $12 billion to $21 billion, and the company is struggling to identify sources of funds for continuation of the project. Brightline East, operating between Miami and Orlando, in Florida, has also experienced significant debt and operating struggles . Earlier in the year it refinanced $985M of junior debt at a record-high 14.89% yield, reflecting deep investor concern after delaying a July 2025 interest payment on $1.2B in municipal bonds. The company, already downgraded deeper into junk by S&P and Fitch, faces falling ridership (53% below projections) and revenue (67% below estimates). The company has also dealt with cash shortfalls. Dreamstar Lines , operating as Golden Coast Express, is a private passenger rail company based in California that, in 2026, will initiate a luxury train service. The train will utilize refurbished, bi-level train cars powered by hydrogen or hybrid electric-hydrogen technology that would link Los Angeles and San Francisco with overnight passenger service. The last overnight passenger train between the two cities, Lark, stopped operating in 1968. The Golden Coast Express will operate nightly, with trains departing at 10:00 p.m. and arriving at the final destination point at 8:30 a.m. the next day. The 400-mile-long route is designed to offer comfort and convenience. Along the way, the train will pass through the rolling hills of the Bay Area, the rugged cliffs of Big Sur, and the farmland of the Central Coast. Trains would have intermediate stops at San Jose, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. Onboard amenities will include two sleeping car arrangements, with passengers choosing between two-person bedrooms and private showers to spacious suites with queen beds. Families or groups can opt for larger rooms that sleep up to six travelers. A lounge with open seating and bar will offer meal service, with breakfast delivery to rooms available. Four planned classes will include family, bedroom, suite and standard. Standard class would be the highest class, equivalent to first class international flight service. Similar to the Amtrak Auto Train, Dreamstar Lines will allow passengers to bring their cars on board the train. Reservations are expected to open in early 2026 and pricing is reportedly to be competitive with the combined cost of airfare and hotels. The Transcontinental Chief , a high-speed rail line connecting major U.S. cities, New York and Los Angeles — the line is expected to go operational in May 2026, and carry several million passengers annually. Along the route are eight main stops at key stations, including the endpoints: Los Angeles, New York, Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, Kansas City and Albuquerque. Counting all the intermediate stops, the route extends across 54 cities throughout the country. Besides carrying passengers, the Transcontinental Chief would also transport truck drivers along with their tractor trailers between the West and East coasts within three days.
Key stops include Long Beach, Downtown Los Angeles, Chinatown, Pasadena, South Pasadena, Azusa and Pomona. The Regional Connector Tunnel links it to Flower Street and beyond. ● B Line. The B Line (Red Dot) is a fully underground subway stretching 14.7 miles from North Hollywood in the San Fernando Valley to Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles, with 14 stations. Key stops include Universal City/Studio City (for Universal Studios), Hollywood/Vine (Hollywood Walk of Fame), Westlake/ MacArthur Park, and 7th St/Metro Center. ● C Line. The C Line (Green Dot) runs 17.8 miles from the LAX/ Metro Transit Center in Westchester to Norwalk. It has 12 stations and runs entirely on a grade-separated route, much of it in the median of the I-105 freeway. Key stops include Aviation/LAX (opened in 2024, near the SoFi Stadium area) and Willowbrook/Rosa Parks (transfer to the A Line). In June 2025, service extended to the new LAX/Metro Transit Center. ● D Line. The D Line (Purple Dot) is a subway running between Koreatown and Downtown Los Angeles. It is 5.1 miles long with 8 stations, from Wilshire/Western in Koreatown to Union Station in Downtown. The line follows Wilshire Boulevard and shares tracks with the B Line east of Wilshire/Vermont. Key stations include Wilshire/Western (terminus), Wilshire/ Vermont (transfer to B Line), 7th St/Metro Center (transfer to A and Expo lines), and Union Station (terminus with regional connections). An extension is underway, adding seven new stations westward, including Wilshire/La Brea, La Cienega, Beverly Hills, Century City, and Westwood. Completion is estimated by 2027. ● E Line. The E Line (Gold Dot) runs east–west from Downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica. It is 21.9 miles long with 29 stations. The eastern end is Atlantic Station (East Los Angeles) and the western end is Downtown Santa Monica. The line follows the former Pacific Electric route along Exposition Boulevard. Key stations include Little Tokyo/Arts District and 7th St/Metro Center in Downtown Los Angeles, then through Culver City, ending at Downtown Santa Monica. In Downtown Los Angeles it interlines with the A Line at Little Tokyo and 7th St/ Metro Center.
Development of the Rail Plan involves collaborating effectively with State agencies, regional and local governments, transportation agencies, commuter rail operators, freight railroads, and other partners across California to implement the vision, with equity as a key goal for the Rail Plan. For additional information on the California State Rail Plan, click on the following links: Factsheet 2024 California State Rail Plan 2024 Appendix* YouTube Video of April 19,2023 State Rail Plan Workshop Presentation: State Rail Plan Workshop Introduction and Summary
Presentation: Northern California Breakout Group Presentation: Southern California Breakout Group 2024 California State Rail Plan Video
Brightline West , a high-speed rail line, will provide bi-directional train travel between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga, with the travel time for each leg estimated to take approximately two hours. Once completed, Brightline West will travel at an average speed of 186 mph, and carry between 434 and 450 passengers per train, with annual ridership projected to be nine million passengers.
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CITY OF MONTCLAIR | TRANSIT UPDATE | 15
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