Could Napa County have a railroad revolution?
Napa County has enough train right-of-way in place for a Railroad Revolution — or, if one looks to history, a Railroad Revival.
Trains in the county once carried residents to work and visitors to play. Today, they carry freight and Napa Valley Wine Train guests who dine while on wine country excursions, but not commuters.
The question is whether a Napa County passenger train system would be a rail revolution or a financial train wreck.
Napa County is crossed by train tracks. One line runs north-south from northern Napa Valley to Vallejo. The other line runs east-west in the south county. They meet at Napa Junction near American Canyon.
Put passenger trains service on both lines, provide a transfer station in American Canyon and many of the region's destinations would be accessible by rail.
Rex Stults would consider riding to work on a train that went up the Napa Valley. He commutes by car from his city of Napa home to his St. Helena job with Napa Valley Vintners.
"I would absolutely be interested in that," he said. "To be able to sit and relax and read the Register and have a cup of coffee on my way to work or even take a nap on the way home from work rather than sit in traffic and watch the bumper in front of me would be greatly preferable."
He recently took a train from Lyon to Paris in France. He called the experience magical.
"But I also don't want to be perceived as Pollyannaish," Stults said. "I know it would have its challenges based on the current structures."
Geoff Wilcox commutes by car from Fairfield in Solano County to Napa County's airport industrial area, traveling on Highway 12 through Jameson Canyon. He leaves a half-hour early to avoid morning rush hour. He estimates evening rush-hour traffic adds 20 minutes to his journey.
Wilcox can envision taking a train instead.
"Yes, that would have been a good idea 10 years ago," he said. "Like the rest of the country, everyone's overworked. Any way to reduce any kind of stress in one's day would be helpful."
There is already regional passenger rail service close to Napa County. To the east, Capitol Corridor passenger trains run from the Sacramento area to San Jose, with stops in neighboring Solano County.
And to the west, Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) trains run from Santa Rosa to Larkspur. A Napa passenger train system could link with both lines.
Obstacles to re-creating a Napa County train-centric transportation system are formidable. Yet the idea is mentioned not only by rail fans, but also by transportation officials.
At least two Napa County passenger rail studies have been done over the past two decades, the most recent in 2019. Potential Napa County passenger rail service is included in the California State Rail Plan, a master plan for the next 20 years.
The idea of Napa County passenger rail may not be picking up steam, but at least it's on the tracks, if only idling at the station.
"I think there's always going to be an interest," Napa Valley Transportation Authority Executive Director Kate Miller said. "I think people use rail. There's a desire to get people out of their cars and that is a very effective way of doing that, but it's also really expensive."
Napa Valley-to-Vallejo line
Passenger trains in the early 20th century ran from Napa Valley to the Vallejo, traveling through the heart of wine country along the way. Tracks exist for them to do so again today.
In fact, the Napa Valley Wine Train runs trains from the city of Napa to St. Helena for people who want a leisurely, fine dining experience. But this is a niche service rather than a mass transit workhorse.
Train advocates see the potential to do more. Workers in the wine industry could commute by rail and avoid Highway 29. A Napan wanting to go to San Francisco could take a train to the Vallejo ferry terminal.
Vintner Chuck McMinn, who has spearheaded the Napa Valley Vine Trail bike-and-pedestrian path effort, looked at creating passenger train service on this line a decade ago.
McMinn and local developer Keith Rogal formed Napa Transit Investors. They thought passenger trains could run from Kennedy Park in Napa to Charles Krug winery north of St. Helena, where the tracks end. The 22-mile trip could have 25 stops.
Things didn't work out, but McMinn still likes the idea.
"In my view, we need another transportation corridor to substantially relieve traffic," he said recently.
Napa Valley has two major north-south roads — Highway 29 and Silverado Trail. Both have rush-hour congestion. In a county that boasts its rural, wine country charm, there's little enthusiasm to turn these roads into freeways blasting past vineyards.
Rail could provide that alternative transportation corridor, McMinn said. The tracks could be upgraded to handle light rail with trains that go 50 mph. Stations would be added.