Carlsbad officials moved forward this week with plans to study relocating railway lines below street level through the Village and Barrio neighborhoods, approving a collaborative agreement that will launch preliminary engineering work and environmental analysis.
The City Council voted Tuesday to formalize a partnership with the San Diego Association of Governments and North County Transit District. The agreement enables the three agencies to work together on early-stage planning for the ambitious infrastructure project, which would place railroad tracks underground in the area spanning roughly from Agua Hedionda Lagoon to Buena Vista Lagoon.
Officials have already obtained funding necessary for this initial phase of study after working to identify federal and state resources. The project appears in the council's five-year strategic planning document, and city staff have been coordinating with regional transit partners to determine feasibility and potential costs.
In addition to depressing the tracks below grade, the proposal calls for installing a second rail line through the corridor. City officials say the changes would boost rail capacity while mitigating safety concerns, traffic disruptions, and other challenges associated with the current at-grade configuration.
SANDAG's board is scheduled to review the agreement later this year. If approved at that level, preliminary engineering and environmental review work could begin in 2025 and conclude by 2030. City representatives acknowledged the project will likely carry a substantial price tag, making the preliminary design and cost analysis essential before proceeding to future stages.