Long Beach : Rail Consolidation Backed
The Long Beach City Council has endorsed in concept a $220-million regional plan that calls for the funneling of all rail traffic from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles onto one central railroad line.
The council on Tuesday unanimously supported the Southern California Assn. of Governments’ plan that would require freight trains to run on South Pacific Railroad’s Alameda track, which parallels Alameda Street through Carson and Compton on its way to rail yards in Los Angeles.
Under the plan, rail traffic would be shifted away from Union Pacific’s track in residential neighborhoods in western and northern Long Beach.
The proposal calls, however, for the two city-run ports to each provide $55 million to help pay for required improvements along the consolidated route. The cities of Long Beach and Los Angeles would pay an additional $3 million each. The rest would come from the state, county and other cities along the route.
Long Beach is the first city to commit to the expenditures even in concept. The council’s Harbor Liaison Committee has been directed to recommend ways to pay the city’s share of the improvements.
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