Valley Link Rail Project
Get Valley Linked!
The Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority is undertaking preliminary engineering and environmental review for the Valley Link Rail Project. The Proposed Project would establish a new passenger rail service along a 22-mile corridor linking the existing Dublin/Pleasanton Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Station in Alameda County and the Mountain House community in San Joaquin County with all-day service at frequent intervals in both directions using zero-emission rail vehicles.
The alignment would be constructed within a combination of an existing freeway median (along I-580), an existing transportation corridor owned by Alameda County, and new right-of-way in San Joaquin County, terminating at the Mountain House community. The Proposed Project includes four new stations, a Mountain House Layover Facility and a Tracy Operations and Maintenance Facility/Operations Support Site (OMF/OSS).
National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) has been Issued
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), as Lead Agency, together with the Authority as Project Sponsor, has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed Valley Link Rail Project. Similar to the Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) prepared in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) earlier in 2024, the purpose of the EA is to document the potential environmental effects associated with the project following the federal requirements under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA).
Notification of EA availability was publicized on this website, in thirteen local and regional newspapers, via social media, through Authority email lists, at two community outreach events on Saturday, December 14, 2024, and via the California State Clearinghouse. The Authority accepted comments on the EA between Tuesday, December 10 and Friday, January 10, 2025.
The FTA has completed its review of the public and interagency comments on the EA. In compliance with NEPA and consistent with 23 U.S.C 139 (n)(2), the FTA has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Project. The FONSI, along with other supporting NEPA information, is available for review and download on the Documents page of this website.
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Final Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (FSEIR) is Complete
The Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority (Authority) as Lead Agency prepared a Final Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (FSEIR) for the proposed Valley Link Rail Project, consistent with requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The purpose of the SEIR is to analyze the potential environmental effects associated with revisions to the previously analyzed improvements included in the Valley Link Rail Project Final EIR approved by the Authority in 2021. The Authority collected comments from the public on the Draft SEIR between April 22 to June 6, 2024 and conducted three open forum public hearings in May 2024. The FSEIR contains all comments submitted, responses to those comments, and documentation of any changes to the Draft SEIR that were made as a result of these comments. The Draft SEIR and FSEIR are available for review on the Documents page of this website.
The SEIR was presented to the Authority Board at a regular meeting on October 23. The Board unanimously certified the SEIR and approved the Valley Link Rail Project. The Notice of Decision was filed with the Alameda and San Joaquin County Clerks and the State Clearinghouse on October 25.
Phase 1A Environmental Review
Subsequent to approvals of the CEQA SEIR and NEPA FONSI, the Authority identified a phased construction delivery strategy to ensure implementation of the Proposed 22-mile Phase 1 Project aligned with anticipated near-term funding. This phased approach, as approved for consideration by the Authority Board on June 11, 2025, is summarized as follows:
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Phase 1A: An 11-mile segment, between Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station and the Vasco Road ACE Station in Livermore (including the previously proposed Isabel Station)
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Phase 1B: An 11-mile segment, between Southfront Road Station in Livermore and the Mountain House Community Station in the City of Mountain House
At the June 11, 2025, meeting, the Board also approved consideration of battery electric multiple unit (BEMU) rail vehicle technology to operate Phase 1A rather than a zero-emission hydrogen-powered vehicle, as included in previous environmental documentation.
To evaluate potential environmental effects associated with Phase 1A, the Authority is preparing a combined Re-Evaluation of the 2024 EA for the Valley Link Rail Project, in compliance with NEPA requirements (23 CFR § 771.129), and an Addendum to the 2024 SEIR to comply with CEQA requirements (CEQA Guidelines §§ 15162-15164). The Authority is the CEQA Lead Agency, and FTA is the Lead Agency for the NEPA portion of the combined environmental document.