SacRT begins station modifications for low-floor light-rail trains
The Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) is beginning construction on station modifications to meet the requirements of its modern new low-floor light- rail trains. The first station closure will be at 59th Street Station during the weekend of Feb. 4-5, 2023. The station closure will impact Gold Line light-rail service and a bus bridge will be in place between 29th Street and Power Inn stations in both directions during the closure.
Normal light- rail service will resume on Feb. 6, 2023. Construction crews will continue work on the 59th Street Station modification until March 3, 2023. However, the work is not expected to impact light- rail service or the 59th Street Station. During construction, the fare vending machines and Connect Card Readers will not be available at the 59th Street Station. Riders will need to use a different station if they need to purchase fare.
“This is the beginning of a comprehensive effort to make our entire light- rail system more modern, efficient and attractive to riders,” said SacRT General Manager and CEO Henry Li. “We apologize for the temporary inconvenience as we renovate our stations; however, this is SacRT’s first step in accelerating our light-rail modernization project, which will greatly improve the customer experience for all.”
“Once the new low-floor cars start rolling, I think people will flock to ride light -rail,” said SacRT Board Chair Patrick Kennedy. “There will be some inconveniences during construction, as there always are in capital improvement projects. Overall, the public will be supportive.”
The 59th Street Station is the first light- rail station that will be modified for the use of the new low-floor light- rail vehicles. After this station is successfully completed, additional stations will be temporarily closed in phases. Riders will be notified about upcoming service disruptions in advance.
The station modifications are one part of the Light-Rail Modernization Project, which also includes adding a passing track to provide 15-minute service to Folsom area stations and the purchase of new low-floor light-rail vehicles.
The first new low-floor light- rail train, which was built at Siemens Mobility in south Sacramento, is scheduled to be delivered in February 2023, which is the first of 28 trains Siemens is currently building for SacRT. The contract with Siemens includes options for the purchase of up to 76 light-rail vehicles. This first low-floor train is now going through a rigorous testing process before it can be put into revenue service with passengers onboard. SacRT expects to have the station conversions and low-floor trains ready for service by summer 2024.
