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The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission has agreed to pay $14.2 million to Union Pacific for the Santa Cruz Branch (rail) Line, announced 8/8/08.

Once the our local RTC takes ownership of the rail corridor we can begin building segments of a rail trail, ultimately spanning the entire 31 miles from Davenport to Watsonville.

Passenger trains and the coastal rail trail can run together along the coastal line to help students, commuters, and visitors to travel througout the County.

Get Involved

The Santa Cruz rail trail is not a done deal. A neighborhood group named SCARRED opposes the project and is applying pressure on the RTC to stop the project. The RTC needs to hear from people who support this project (that's you!) You can email or call RTC members by going here.

By supporting the rail trail, you join a very long list of people and organizations, such as the Sierra Club, and many more supporters.

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http://www.santacruzboardwalkhotels.com/

Important Facts

Corridor Width.
Engineering studies show that the Santa Cruz Banch line is plenty wide for both rail and trail

Locals Want Rail
Do Santa Cruz County residents want passenger rail service? The most certainly do. Read a recent transportation survey conducted by the Santa Cruz RTC, and check the Proposition 116 results.

Cost of Rail Service
The cost of rail service is usually about the same, per passenger mile, as bus service. Read the studies from Monterey County.

Property Values Go Up
The coastal rail trail will increase property values. Various studies show the results.

Rail Operators See Profit
Two independent operators of rail services, Sierra Railroad and Roaring Camp have both provided requests to provide rail service showing that rail providers know this line can be profitable.

Learn more about the rail trail route >>

Why do we want a rail trail in Santa Cruz County?

There are many benefits to having a path adjacent to the railroad tracks. From young people to tourists, the rail trail helps people and local businesses alike. Read about how we will use the rail trail. >>

Event Upates:

The Train and Bike Ride

Rail and Trail day takes place each year as part of Bike to Work Week. Over 500 rail trail supporters take the Roaring Camp train - with their bikes - to Felton. Then they coast back down Highway 9 to Depot Park. It's been a successful event for five years in a row.