Saratoga News
News
Photograph by George Sakkestad
Three times a week, a Union Pacific train rolls through Saratoga, servicing the Hanson Aggregates West in Cupertino. City officials worry the railroad is planning to increase the number of trains and the speed of the trains coming through the city.
City rails over prospect of added train activity
By Shannon Burkey
Recent activity at Hanson Aggregates West in Cupertino has Saratoga city officials worried that changes may be under way with the railroad line that runs through the city.
Hanson, which produces 1.6 million tons of cement a year, is looking to expand its reclamation plan, which would allow it to mine an additional 60 to 70 acres.
With more activity planned for Hanson, city officials wonder if the railroad line, which runs through the city and services only Hanson, will also see more activity.
Several months ago, Union Pacific Railroad Company came to the city offering to upgrade all the railroad crossings in the city, as well as in Cupertino and Campbell, much to the city's surprise.
Although at the time the city questioned the railroad's intent, it was also happy for the upgrades to its declining crossings. But now city officials said they think they know why UPRR was so willing to do the work.
"There is absolutely no reason why they would be doing all of those improvements if they weren't trying to put more trains and heavier loads on that line," said John Cherbone, pubic works director for the city. "There is no reason why they would be investing in that line if there was no benefit."
In the past, when the city offered to upgrade the railroad crossing at Cox Avenue with money it received from a grant, UPRR charged them $116,000 for the easement. The city had to apply for a second grant in order to do the work.
But according to James Barnes, UPRR's director of media information, it is standard practice for the railroad to go in and upgrade declining crossings on its lines.
"The work we did was part of our regularly scheduled track maintenance," Barnes said. "This year we put aside $3.2 billion to improve our railroads and the upgrades in Saratoga fell under that. Our goal in doing the work was certainly not because we are planning to increase activity on the line."
But another indication to the city that something may be in the works with the railroad is UPRR's recent posting of its intent to close a popular pedestrian crossing at Lido Way and Guava Court. UPRR says the crossing is illegal and unsafe and has been ordered shut down by the California Public Utilities Commission.
"This pedestrian crossing was not established in an appropriate manner, and as a result the California Public Utilities Commission has given us direction to close it," Barnes said. "We're very willing to work with the city of Saratoga, but in the interim we've been ordered to close it."
Cherbone said the pedestrian crossing has existed for more than 20 years and there has never been any kind of problem or accident there. The city has tried to get the easement from UPRR in order to make the necessary repairs, but UPRR has not been willing to grant it, leaving the city wondering why.
In response to a letter the city sent to UPRR asking for the easement, a UPRR representative left a terse voicemail for Cherbone saying he didn't think the city was working with the railroad on the issue. But no response on whether UPRR would be willing to grant the easement was ever made.
"We think they don't want any kind of public access to the line because they want to increase activity on that line," Cherbone said. "The only reason they are so upset is because their liability will go up--that's my guess."
Currently, a train runs on the line three times a week, traveling at what Cherbone said is a relatively slow speed.
Barnes denies there is any talk of expansion on the line and said he is not even sure if Hanson is a customer of UPRR. However, he said the process for increasing activity on any of UPRR's lines is a lengthy one.
"Any time an existing Union Pacific customer or new business desires to use our right of way, there is a very long process that takes place with lots of discussion between us and the company. It's not something that happens immediately," he said.
Hanson could not be reached for comment, but before its expansion is approved, an environmental impact report must be completed. That report is expected to be done sometime in September and would need the approval of the Santa Clara County Planning Commission for the project to move forward.
