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 WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the award of $21 million for the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for engineering to begin on three projects to improve Southern California’s Pacific Surfliner Corridor, one of the nation’s most popular passenger corridors.

“These dollars will help Californians to have better access to faster, more efficient passenger rail service throughout the state,” said LaHood. “The projects will help relieve congestion, create jobs and help ensure the world’s eighth largest economy continues to grow.”

Highlights of the rail projects include:

• Pacific Surfliner Corridor in the city of Oceanside: $4 million for preliminary engineering and environmental work for the construction of second main track and replacement of an aging railway bridge over the San Luis Rey River. This project will help alleviate residual train delays in the area and provide on-time performance benefits to intercity passenger trains. The project will also connect two existing sections of double track.

• Pacific Surfliner Corridor in the city of Del Mar: $7 million for preliminary engineering and environmental work for the construction of a 1.1-mile section of second main track, replacement of a timber trestle railway bridge built in 1916, and signal improvements. This project also includes a permanent seasonal rail platform with direct access to the Del Mar Fairgrounds, a major trip generator in San Diego County. When constructed, this project will help alleviate current train delays, increase operational flexibility, and improve on-time performance for intercity, commuter, and freight operations.

• Pacific Surfliner Elvira to Morena Double-Track Project: $10 million for design, environmental, and engineering work. When constructed, this project will connect two sections of double track, resulting in a 10.3-mile stretch of double track. This is part of the long-range plan to double track the San Diego segment of the corridor that will alleviate train delays, increase operational flexibility, improve on-time performance, and remove a capacity constraint to future intercity passenger rail service on the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Corridor.