The commission also manages the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority, which oversees the Gold Runner<\/a> \u2014 an Amtrak-operated passenger rail service connecting Oakland and Sacramento to Bakersfield.<\/p>\n Orlando told CapRadio both lines have seen \u201cstrong and growing ridership\u201d as it provides reliable transportation for commuters and other passengers headed to Silicon Valley or the capital region.\u00a0<\/p>\n Valley Rail aims to bolster that capacity by building more connections, stations and trips aboard ACE and Gold Runner \u2014 including a connection north to Sacramento.<\/p>\n The project was first funded in 2017 through SB 132, and got more appropriations money through the state\u2019s Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program in 2018. Orlando said in January, officials approved a phased approach to the project.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPhase 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,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n Orlando described the new service as a morning train traveling from Natomas through to San Jose, and an evening train headed the other way.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe strategy was to take advantage of the existing rail line, and add stations that were viable, and then serve good population centers,\u201d Orlando said, adding that Valley Rail would use existing Union Pacific lines to access the area.<\/p>\n In addition to the three stations, a fourth has been proposed \u2014 but not yet confirmed \u2014 for the property along Del Paso Boulevard, called the Old North Sacramento station.<\/p>\n Orlando said the goal with this stop would be similar to its counterparts in Elk Grove, Midtown and Natomas \u2014 serve a good market for rail travel, and provide an opportunity to revitalize the surrounding neighborhoods.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat, in addition to the station, can happen in that area, what does the community want to see?\u201d he explained. \u201cHow can a potential future station contribute to the economic activity in that area?\u201d<\/p>\n He said adding Valley Rail would not only provide residents with more transportation options, but also serve as a center for economic development.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhether that\u2019s new businesses that pop up to serve the travelers, or businesses that locate near the station for folks who can commute to work there\u2026 potential housing opportunities, those are all things that can be encouraged by a new station,\u201d Orlando said.<\/p>\n In addition to adding stations around the Sacramento region, Valley Rail\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Orlando said the full cost of phase one is \u201cjust under $500 million,\u201d and that the project to extend ACE north to Natomas is \u201cfully funded,\u201d though it is still unknown whether Old North Sacramento will be among the stops.<\/p>\n 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. \u201cThis is a really significant expansion of rail service within the greater Sacramento area,\u201d Orlando said. \u201cWe\u2019re really excited to see these projects progressing.\u201d<\/p>\n Tapping into \u2018overlooked potential\u2019<\/p>\n Sacramento City Councilmember Roger Dickinson\u2019s district includes that underdeveloped property near Del Paso Boulevard, where the Old North Sacramento station could be built.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dickinson said \u201cthe member of the city council for the district at that time was not very receptive to that idea.\u201d But Dickinson described his own support for rail service as \u201cvery enthusiastic,\u201d adding that he advocated for the connection even before being elected to city council.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dickinson said a new stop off Del Paso Boulevard would be a “great transportation addition\u201d for residents. \u201cIt\u2019s creating the opportunity for more access both to and from North Sacramento, that I think makes it well worthwhile,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The proposed station is outlined in a larger Del Paso Action Plan<\/a>, developed earlier this year by the SJRRC, the city of Sacramento, SacRT and other partners. The effort\u2019s other goals include improving air quality, identifying opportunities for \u201ctransit-oriented development,\u201d and making sure that the projects benefit local residents.<\/p>\n The plan notes that North Sacramento is home to some of the city\u2019s \u201cmost disadvantaged communities,\u201d 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\u2019s Healthy Places Index<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dickinson agreed with the idea that a new station would bring an economic boom to North Sacramento. \u201cI think what history shows us\u2026 where those rail lines are established and the stations are located, they become hubs for development, both commercial and residential,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He pointed to the area\u2019s close connections to SacRT light rail and bus lines, right next door along Del Paso Boulevard. \u201cIt gives people an enormous number of options for the purposes of getting around, without necessarily getting in your car,\u201d Dickinson said.<\/p>\n The councilmember said he believes there is \u201cvery strong support\u201d for the station and its potential benefits. \u201cBut what it will take, frankly, is the input of residents and businesses regarding the planning of the station,\u201d Dickinson added.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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. \u201cWe want as much public input as we can get; that\u2019ll yield a better result in the end,\u201d Dickinson said.<\/p>\n The Del Paso Action Plan\u2019s website says final plans should be completed by winter 2026. Dickinson said he has been \u201cvery vocal\u201d with the SJRRC, saying his communities want to see the station \u201cbrought to life.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re not content to wait for years and years for it to happen; we want it to happen as soon as possible,\u201d 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNorth Sacramento, for so long we have been largely overlooked and frankly disinvested in,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat we\u2019re trying to do, and I think we\u2019re going in the right direction, is turn that around.\u201d<\/p>\n He pointed to several existing projects as evidence of that momentum, from the new North Sacramento-Hagginwood Library<\/a> opening in the near future to a 2,000-person performing arts venue that\u2019s in the planning process.<\/p>\n Welcoming a new train station would only make this chapter of North Sacramento\u2019s story richer.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is just another element in reimagining Del Paso Boulevard; really, it\u2019s too-long overlooked potential,\u201d Dickinson said.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/092126_valleyrailmap.png\")
A map of the first phase of the Valley Rail project, showing connections north to Sacramento.Courtesy of San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/092126_northsacstationland.jpg\")
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<\/p>\n