SANTA PAULA : City Becomes First to Back ‘Tilt Train’

Santa Paula has become the first Ventura County city to give its support to the “tilt train,” a high-speed train that would run along the coast from San Francisco to Los Angeles with stops proposed in Oxnard and Ventura.

In a unanimous vote, council members on Monday approved a resolution backing the project, which the private Southern Pacific Lines is trying to sell to state and federal transportation officials by amassing local support in counties along the proposed route.

If all goes as planned, Southern Pacific officials say, the train could be zipping up and down the coast in two to three years.

The train could reaching speeds of 125 m.p.h. by tilting as it goes through turns to offset the effects of centrifugal force. Southern Pacific officials promise that the current train ride of 12 hours could be cut to about six hours. Fares would cost about $60 each way.

“This certainly goes a long way toward solving the problems of the road, like air pollution,” said Councilwoman Margaret Ely. The program’s main costs would be upgrading rail lines already in place, purchasing train equipment and acquisition by the state of the rail right of way from Southern Pacific. The total cost of the project will be about $850 million, according to Southern Pacific estimates.

Southern Pacific officials say they have asked to make presentations this month to the Camarillo and Moorpark city councils, but have not received a response.