Construction to disrupt Sacramento RT light rail. Here’s where and when
.JPG "One of Sacramento Regional Transit’s S700 low-floor light rail train awaits riders at the Township 9 station in Sacramento on June 12, 2024.")
Some Sacramento Regional Transit light rail stations will be closed throughout April as crews continue construction work to adapt the Blue Line’s statoins for newer, more accessible trains.
Over the next month, five Blue Line platforms will be raised to accommodate RT’s new low-floor light rail trains.
Construction began last month on the project, which is the largest capital project in the agency’s 53-year history and is expected to modify 15 stations through 2027, according to an RT news release. Platform modifications have already been made at four Blue Line stations — Roseville Road, Swanston, Globe, and Alkali Flat/La Valentina — and on the Blue Line south extension from Morrison Creek to Cosumnes River College.
The new trains are meant to provide easier access at every doorway, especially for riders with disabilities, and have wider aisles, space for bicycles and larger windows for more light, according to previous Bee reporting. They also have at-platform boarding, with deployable ramps at the two center doors.
Twenty-nine of the new trains, which are constructed at Siemens Mobility’s 60-acre facility in Sacramento, are currently in service on the Gold Line, RT spokesperson Jessica Gonzalez said. Sacramento Regional Transit has enough money for 59 trains but has a contract for up to 76.
During construction, light rail riders approaching the closed stations will board shuttle buses that will connect them to another stop, typically the next on the line. Shuttle buses will rotate every 20 to 30 minutes between the impacted stations.
Riders should plan for longer travel times and check the construction schedule, which can shift due to weather or other factors.
Here’s what to know about service disruptions to the light rail:
Platform modification closures
Dates: Wednesday, April 1-Monday, April 13
Stations impacted: Watt/I-80, Watt/I-80 West, Roseville Road
A bus bridge will connect the Watt/I-80 stop, which will be under construction, to the Roseville Road Station — skipping over the Watt/I-80 West station. Riders will not be able to stop at the latter station as platform construction takes place.
Those headed south from the Watt/I-80 stop will board the shuttle upstairs. The northbound side at this stop, which is the northern end of the Blue Line, will be closed for construction.
Dates: Tuesday, April 14-Friday, April 17 and Monday, April 20-Friday, April 24
Stations impacted: Roseville Road, Swanston, Marconi/Arcade
From April 14 to 16 and April 20 to 23, the Marconi/Arcade station will be closed and shuttles will operate between the two stops immediately north and south of the station, which are Roseville Road and Swanston, respectively. Trains will pass through but not stop at the Marconi/Arcade station.
On April 17 and 24, a bus bridge will still be in place, but the station will be closed and trains will not run through the Marconi/Arcade station.
Dates: Saturday, April 18-Sunday, April 19 and Saturday, April 25-Sunday, April 26
Stations impacted: Marconi/Arcade. Royal Oaks, Roseville Road, Alkali Flat/La Valentina, Arden/Del Paso
Shuttles will move passengers between the Roseville Road and Alkali Flat/La Valentina stations as construction continues. This bus bridge spans seven stops from Del Paso Park to the road between the Alkali Flat and Mansion Flats neighborhoods
Marconi/Arcade and Royal Oaks will be under construction between April 18 and 19. Platforms at Arden/Del Paso and Marconi/Arcade will be under construction from April 25 to 26.
