Amtrak Rail Expansion Plans
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Passenger trains only come through the valley three times a week but the new proposal would allow for more trains so more locals and tourists could travel in and out of the city. Video by kmir6.com
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PALM SPRINGS--The Coachella Valley is one step closer to getting 5-day a week train service.
"It's irritating because it's hot, the bugs are bothering me," said waiting passenger Shardelle Earl.
Shardelle Earl has been waiting at the Amtrak Station in North Palm Springs for hours--trying to catch a ride to see her grandmother in San Bernardino.
"From here to San Bernardino they say two hours, but knowing Amtrak its probably going to be longer than that," Earl said.
Right now trains only come through this station three times a week but the new proposal would allow for more trains so more locals and tourists could travel in and out of the city.
With approval from the Riverside County Board of Supervisors, rail service is one step closer to moving to 5 days a week.
"But we're a long ways from finalizing any kind of deal, and we'll continue to push Amtrak to consider adding the necessary service to have daily service to the Coachella Valley," Supervisor John Benoit said.
"This is one more step in getting to that point, right now Amtrak is 3 days a week and if we can get to a 7 day a week service that's one more step into that daily service," said Deputy Executive Director of the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, Allyn Waggle.
Daily service that would cost hundreds of millions of dollars, but officials say it would also bring an economic boost to the valley, adding more jobs while making it easier to get around Southern California.
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