The Rail Feasibility Study evaluated the potential of future commuter and intra-county rail lines in Riverside County and recommended further evaluation of routes to San Jacinto/Hemet and Murrieta/Temecula.
Routes evaluated included:
- Banning and Beaumont to Riverside and points west
- Indio (Coachella Valley) to Riverside and points west
- San Jacinto, Hemet and Winchester, to South Perris and points west
- Temecula to South Perris via Winchester Road
- Temecula and Murrieta to South Perris via the I-215 corridor
Each of the routes studied were proposed to operate to or through the Riverside-Downtown Metrolink Station. The routes were characterized on the basis of three factors:
Routes/rights-of-way or alignments that would host the prospective services
Endpoint city from which trains would depart in the morning peak direction
Service frequency, that is, "commuter rail" or "intracounty rail"
Feasibility was determined by examining operations, ridership, and costs, including the physical, operational, and financial feasibility of each major capital investment and its operating subsidy projections.
The analysis supports advancing commuter rail service to San Jacinto via the Perris Valley Line and commuter rail service along the I-215 to Temecula for inclusion in the next SCAG Regional Transportation Plan update. Specifically, based on the study's approved evaluation criteria, both scenarios offer a viable and effective commuter rail extension as part of a multi-modal transportation system to maintain or enhance mobility and contribute to improving the quality of life.
