PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The San Jacinto Branch Line Commuter Rail (Perris Valley Line) Project is a 24 mile extension of the Metrolink 91 Line, currently providing service from Riverside to Fullerton and downtown Los Angeles.

The extension would begin at a junction with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe line, north of the city of Riverside and turn southeast along the San Jacinto Branch Line. The terminus of the Line is in the City of Perris at Route 74 and Ethanac Road in Perris.

The San Jacinto Branch Line, purchased by the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) in 1993, which runs parallel to I‑215, is one of the most heavily traveled and congested freeways in the region.

Upon start up, the Perris Valley Line Project will have four new stations. It will operate through three cities (Riverside, Moreno Valley, and Perris), bringing commuter rail service to major employment centers. The project will also provide communities such as Hemet, San Jacinto, Murrieta, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Wildomar and Temecula closer access to the Southern California commuter rail network.

The Perris Valley Line will operate primarily on track used as a freight rail line for more than 120 years. Establishing Metrolink service on this track will transfer the responsibility of track maintenance, repair and the upkeep of rail right of way away from privately-owned railroad to the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA), the public agency that operates Metrolink. RCTC is a member of SCRRA and is overseen by local, elected officials who hold regular public meetings and are accessible to respond to community concerns.

PROJECT BENEFITS

Commuters will enjoy multiple benefits of the new Perris Valley Line Metrolink Extension when the project is completed.

On opening day, the proposed Metrolink extension through the Perris Valley is projected to serve 4,350 riders daily, eliminating thousands of vehicle trips per day on I‑215 and SR-60. The Perris Valley Line provides commuters traveling to jobs in employment centers with a convenient, safe and traffic free alternative to I‑215, one of the fastest growing corridors in the county.

Estimated Cost: $232.7 Million (not including 1993 San Jacinto Branch Line purchase)

Congressional Districts: 44th, 45th, and 49th

Project Status:

Project Development began December 2007
Approved December 2007 under the Federal Transit Administration "Small Starts" category, a part of the “New Starts” grant program
$75 million appropriated in the Federal Budget since 2008