At first glance, the patch of land near the intersection of Acoma Street and El Monte Avenue in North Sacramento seems unremarkable.
A dry lot of dirt and scrub grass bakes in the sun, dotted with shipping containers, cars and a few storage buildings. A section of railroad tracks runs behind the property.
In the distance, the chime of a Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) light rail train fades as it pulls out of Globe Avenue Station along Del Paso Boulevard.
For years, North Sacramento has been eyed as the potential future home for a new transportation hub that could bring more connections, development and economic opportunities for the community.
It starts with two train lines in the Central Valley, and a major expansion called Valley Rail.
What is Valley Rail?
Chris Orlando is the CEO of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC), which manages and operates the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE), a rail line running between Stockton and San Jose.
The commission also manages the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority, which oversees the Gold Runner — an Amtrak-operated passenger rail service connecting Oakland and Sacramento to Bakersfield.
Orlando told CapRadio both lines have seen “strong and growing ridership” as it provides reliable transportation for commuters and other passengers headed to Silicon Valley or the capital region.
Valley Rail aims to bolster that capacity by building more connections, stations and trips aboard ACE and Gold Runner — including a connection north to Sacramento.
The project was first funded in 2017 through SB 132, and got more appropriations money through the state’s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program in 2018. Orlando said in January, officials approved a phased approach to the project.
“Phase one of Valley Rail will extend that [ACE] line to Natomas, and add three new stations for the ACE service in Natomas, Midtown Sacramento and Elk Grove,” he explained.
A map of the first phase of the Valley Rail project, showing connections north to Sacramento.Courtesy of San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission
Orlando described the new service as a morning train traveling from Natomas through to San Jose, and an evening train headed the other way.
“The strategy was to take advantage of the existing rail line, and add stations that were viable, and then serve good population centers,” Orlando said, adding that Valley Rail would use existing Union Pacific lines to access the area.
In addition to the three stations, a fourth has been proposed — but not yet confirmed — for the property along Del Paso Boulevard, called the Old North Sacramento station.
Orlando said the goal with this stop would be similar to its counterparts in Elk Grove, Midtown and Natomas — serve a good market for rail travel, and provide an opportunity to revitalize the surrounding neighborhoods.
“What, in addition to the station, can happen in that area, what does the community want to see?” he explained. “How can a potential future station contribute to the economic activity in that area?”
He said adding Valley Rail would not only provide residents with more transportation options, but also serve as a center for economic development.
“Whether that’s new businesses that pop up to serve the travelers, or businesses that locate near the station for folks who can commute to work there… potential housing opportunities, those are all things that can be encouraged by a new station,” Orlando said.
In addition to adding stations around the Sacramento region, Valley Rail’s first phase would also expand ACE commuter capacity from four to five daily round-trips between Stockton and San Jose. It would also see the construction of two new stations for Gold Runner in Oakley and Madera.
Orlando said the full cost of phase one is “just under $500 million,” and that the project to extend ACE north to Natomas is “fully funded,” though it is still unknown whether Old North Sacramento will be among the stops.
He said the project will go out to bid by the end of the year, and the entire phase is expected to begin service in 2031. “This is a really significant expansion of rail service within the greater Sacramento area,” Orlando said. “We’re really excited to see these projects progressing.”
Tapping into ‘overlooked potential’
Sacramento City Councilmember Roger Dickinson’s district includes that underdeveloped property near Del Paso Boulevard, where the Old North Sacramento station could be built.
He told CapRadio the plan to bring rail service to the region goes back at least four years, as the SJRRC looked to extend Gold Runner service into Sacramento.
Dickinson said “the member of the city council for the district at that time was not very receptive to that idea.” But Dickinson described his own support for rail service as “very enthusiastic,” adding that he advocated for the connection even before being elected to city council.
Dickinson said a new stop off Del Paso Boulevard would be a “great transportation addition” for residents. “It’s creating the opportunity for more access both to and from North Sacramento, that I think makes it well worthwhile,” he said.
The proposed station is outlined in a larger Del Paso Action Plan, developed earlier this year by the SJRRC, the city of Sacramento, SacRT and other partners. The effort’s other goals include improving air quality, identifying opportunities for “transit-oriented development,” and making sure that the projects benefit local residents.
The plan notes that North Sacramento is home to some of the city’s “most disadvantaged communities,” with 50% of residents in nearby census tracts living below the poverty line. It also says more than one in five households do not have access to a car, and the area generally ranks poorly on the state’s Healthy Places Index.
An undeveloped plot of land along Acoma Street and El Monte Avenue in North Sacramento could be home to a new train station.Sarit Laschinsky/CapRadio
Dickinson agreed with the idea that a new station would bring an economic boom to North Sacramento. “I think what history shows us… where those rail lines are established and the stations are located, they become hubs for development, both commercial and residential,” he said.
He pointed to the area’s close connections to SacRT light rail and bus lines, right next door along Del Paso Boulevard. “It gives people an enormous number of options for the purposes of getting around, without necessarily getting in your car,” Dickinson said.
The councilmember said he believes there is “very strong support” for the station and its potential benefits. “But what it will take, frankly, is the input of residents and businesses regarding the planning of the station,” Dickinson added.
He encouraged residents to turn out to workshops, including one on Sept. 23 at SETA headquarters in North Sacramento, to express their views and preferences for what a train station should include. “We want as much public input as we can get; that’ll yield a better result in the end,” Dickinson said.
The Del Paso Action Plan’s website says final plans should be completed by winter 2026. Dickinson said he has been “very vocal” with the SJRRC, saying his communities want to see the station “brought to life.”
“We’re not content to wait for years and years for it to happen; we want it to happen as soon as possible,” Dickinson explained. He said the district has been trying to attract new public investment like Valley Rail, which can be an incentive for more private investment to follow.
“North Sacramento, for so long we have been largely overlooked and frankly disinvested in,” he said. “What we’re trying to do, and I think we’re going in the right direction, is turn that around.”
He pointed to several existing projects as evidence of that momentum, from the new North Sacramento-Hagginwood Library opening in the near future to a 2,000-person performing arts venue that’s in the planning process.
Welcoming a new train station would only make this chapter of North Sacramento’s story richer.
“This is just another element in reimagining Del Paso Boulevard; really, it’s too-long overlooked potential,” Dickinson said.
The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission will hold a community workshop about the Del Paso Action Plan and proposed Old North Sacramento station Sept. 23 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the SETA Headquarters along Del Paso Boulevard.