PASADENA : Deal Clears Way for Blue Line Extension
A deal closed Tuesday between a regional rail-transit agency and the Santa Fe Railway will permit construction to start on a Blue Line trolley extension to Pasadena, Los Angeles County Transportation Commission officials said.
Terms of the agreement call for the Southern California Regional Rail Authority to improve and expand Santa Fe’s main freight track to the east, in exchange for which the railroad will move freight traffic off its Pasadena subdivision.
LACTC officials said this clears the way for construction of necessary trolley improvements on the Pasadena track, including new signals and overhead electric-power lines.
The larger agreement, reached in principle several months ago, calls for the regional rail agency to pay Santa Fe $500 million in cash in three installments. Santa Fe also retains all rights for its freight operations in Southern California.
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