Passenger rail ‘on the track’ for Coachella Valley to LA route

A proposed passenger rail service that would connect the Coachella Valley with Los Angeles is one step closer to becoming reality.

The train would make two daily round trips between Union Station in Los Angeles and Coachella – including stops in Palm Springs and other locations around the valley.

Cathedral City resident Mark Morocco and his dog, The Great Bambino, are huge fans of baseball. In season, they travel for up to 10 games a month to Dodger Stadium. He says a passenger rail would make their commute even easier.

"Night and day. I would take it all the time. I'd rather take the train than drive to be honest," Morocco said. "It'd be great. Especially right now with gas prices, and traveling is real tough right now."

The more-than-a-decade-old proposal for a train connecting the Coachella Valley with the rest of Southern California cleared a big hurdle last week when an initial environmental study was unanimously approved by the Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC).

The train route is meant to offer an east-west alternative to Interstate 10, promoting more opportunities for desert tourism and opening access to jobs outside the area.

Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez, who also serves as a RCTC comissioner, is thrilled his city was recommended as the eastern-most stop.

"This is how we create more mobility, and how we make sure that folks can can travel and move freely," Hernandez said. "If you look at where the jobs are headed and the room for growth, Coachella definitely is there."

The project, estimated to cost $1 billion to construct, now must secure $60 million for more in-depth studies on infrastructure and station locations. About $23 million has been raised so far, and the rest is expected to take several years.

But when it comes to locking in funding from the state, Hernandez said the Coachella Valley is perfectly positioned.

"When you look at dollar availability, there's not a greater time than right now," Hernandez said. "The dollars are available."

So when could this passenger rail realistically materialize?

"The earliest that we could get service running on the ground is about 10 years from now," said Cheryl Donahue, public affairs manager for RCTC.

That's a far-off arrival that folks like Morocco say they hope to see staying on track.

"The sooner the better," Morocco said.