California Awards $1.3 Billion in TIRCP Funding Across 28 Transit Projects

California Governor Gavin Newsom has awarded nearly $1.3 billion to 28 projects through the California State Transportation Agency's Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) and State Rail Assistance program, directing state money toward service preservation, zero-emission fleets and rail extensions across the state.

The awards pair two of the state's largest commitments with dozens of smaller ones. A $750 million share will advance The Portal, a Transbay Joint Powers Authority project extending Caltrain roughly two miles from Fourth and King streets into downtown San Francisco, connecting the regional rail operator to the Salesforce Transit Center and establishing the future San Francisco terminus for California high-speed rail. At the other end of the scale, $1 million goes to the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo Rail Corridor Agency (LOSSAN) to update its Corridor Optimization Study covering the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner route.

What does the funding change for Metrolink riders?

The most immediate operational effect lands in Southern California. A $20 million award will help Metrolink, the region's commuter rail operator, avoid proposed service reductions of 29% on weekdays and 40% on weekends compared with its 2025 schedule. The funding maintains service through summer 2028, when Los Angeles hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

"This critical investment helps us maintain the service our riders depend on to get to work, attend school and access opportunities throughout the region," said Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle. He added that the money provides "much-needed stability" as the operator works with the state and its member agencies on a sustainable funding model for regional rail.

Hydrogen buses for Sacramento

The Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) will receive approximately $57.7 million for its Northern Sacramento and Yolo I-80 Intercity Zero-Emission and Transformative Project. The remaining $29.8 million of the project cost comes from other state and regional sources, including the Senate Bill 125 Zero-Emission Transit Capital Program and the California Energy Commission's EnergIIZE Transit set-aside.

The award funds:

• 21 hydrogen fuel cell buses for zero-emission service on routes 30, 81 and 138
• Conversion of the 14-acre McClellan Bus Maintenance Facility into a zero-emission operations hub
• A hydrogen fueling station with a 25,000-gallon liquid hydrogen storage system, sized to fuel up to 100 fuel cell buses, with potential public access
• Cloud-based transit signal priority (technology that gives buses green lights at equipped intersections) at 30 locations along routes 30 and 81
• 10 BikeLink smart bike parking stations at UC Davis and four at the University/65th Street Station
• Two heat-resilient bus shelters at UC Davis Medical Center

SacRT says the corridors will strengthen connections to Sacramento Valley Station, California's third-busiest train station, which links riders to Capitol Corridor, Altamont Corridor Express and Caltrain services. A workforce partnership with American River College will train workers from underrepresented communities for zero-emission vehicle careers, with the Center for Transportation and the Environment providing technical assistance.

"With the support of the state of California, we can continue investing in zero-emission technology, improving service frequency and reliability and building the infrastructure and workforce needed to support the future of public transportation," said SacRT General Manager and CEO Henry Li.

Smaller awards across the state

The remaining awards span every major region:

• Central Valley: Facility modernization and battery-electric buses in Kings County to connect communities to future high-speed rail service, plus expanded zero-emission microtransit in Merced County
• Central Coast: Rail infrastructure work to bring passenger service to Salinas and transit facility improvements in Santa Cruz County
• Bay Area: A second main track through Fremont and Newark to improve Altamont Corridor Express operations, plus Caltrain's battery-electric train pilot between San Jose and Gilroy
• Southern California: Expanded fixed-route service, microtransit and zero-emission buses in Ventura, Riverside and Los Angeles counties

Additional projects cover transit access improvements at BART's Ashby Station in Berkeley, e-bike share expansion in Truckee, pedestrian safety near Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit tracks, maintained COASTER commuter rail service in San Diego County, signal replacement near Davis Station on the Capitol Corridor, new rail infrastructure in Santa Clara County and signal upgrades on the SPRINTER line between Oceanside and Escondido.

CalSTA Secretary Toks Omishakin framed the package in rider terms. "From Caltrain's extension into downtown San Francisco to clean buses in the Central Valley and tap-and-pay fares across Metrolink, these awards make transit cleaner, faster and easier for riders across the state," he said. Beyond the 28 awards themselves, the funding's largest test will come at The Portal, where construction progress through 2026 and beyond determines whether Caltrain reaches the Salesforce Transit Center on schedule.