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76 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 For more information, visit www.MassTransitmag.com/10065785 Te San Diego Association of Govern- ments (SANDAG) has a comprehensive plan for the long-term improvement of the 60-mile San Diego County segment of the LOSSAN rail corridor. Te $800 million, 20-year plan has 19 rail projects under de- velopment, with 15 of them already funded. To compare, the Carlsbad Double Track and Bridge Project cost $18.4 million in total, and the Carlsbad Village Double Track Project has an almost $6 million design fund (the construction has not been funded yet). Te main action of the plan is to double track from Downtown San Diego north to the Or- ange County line. More than 97 percent of San Diego County's LOSSAN corridor will be double-tracked at plan's end, up from 50 percent at present. Te next fve years will see about 11 new miles of double track. Te plan also includes replacing old track and bridges, building new train station platforms and passenger underpasses, and building or upgrading any necessary equipment. Te main purposes of SANDAG's plan are many: • Increase passenger and freight train services to meet future demands • Increase reliabil- ity of the whole rail system • Decrease travel time for passengers • Increase move- ment of freight • Provide an alter- nate transporta- tion method to the heavily congested Interstate 5 high- way, for both pas- sengers and freight SANDAG knows the importance of continuous investment in rail infra- structure. Te frst main train track in San Diego County's LOSSAN corridor is more than 100 years old. Even if one track provided enough capacity to meet the demands, the age of the track still ne- cessitates continual upgrades. Because one track is not enough to meet current and future demands, the long-term strategy is clear. About 50 percent of San Diego County's LOSSAN corridor has been double-tracked in the last 100 years. Te double track not only increases capacity but also allows old track to be replaced without seriously disrupting train service. Te enhanced LOSSAN corridor will also help facilitate high-speed trains, the next generation of track transportation. California has a new high-speed train sys- tem in the works, which will share parts of the LOSSAN rail corridor. John Eschenbach is a senior project manager at J.L. Patterson & Associates, a Southern California-based trackwork engineering firm that spearheaded the inventive engineering of the Carlsbad Double Track. He has more than 37 years of experience in the design, maintenance and construction management of class I railroads. He can be reached by email at jeschenbach@jlpatterson.com. San Diego County segment of the LOSSAN rail corridor Cost $800 million Timeline 20 years Percent to be double-tracked 97%+ DOUBLES DOWN