Manteca residents within a decade will be able to board Altamont Corridor Express trains in downtown or a mile west of the city and reach San Jose, Sacramento, Union City, and Merced.

And with one train transfer, they can access the BART system, Chico, and Bakersfield.

 That’s just for starters.

If Valley Link gets up and running sometime after 2028, you could also travel to Dublin/Pleasanton and connect with the BART system there.

Stacey Mortenson, executive director of the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, is appearing before the Manteca City Council when they met Tuesday at 6 p.m..

Mortenson will provide an overview of projects getting underway and endeavors being planned for ACE and the Amtrak San Joaquins that will put Lathrop/Manteca at the hub of a robust Northern California heavy rail passenger system.

The 10-year outlook includes ACE trains tying in with initial California High Speed Rail Authority service in Merced.

The Valley Rail Program has received $1.6 billion to date.

It includes two primary components — expansion from Lathrop to Merced via the Union Pacific Fresno Subdivision and Stockton to Sacramento via the Union Pacific’s Sacramento Subdivision.

The latter includes working with Butte County to extend service from Sacramento to Chico.

The three major local components are:

*The building and opening of an ACE boarding station in downtown Manteca.

*The established of a North Lathrop Transfer Station at Sharpe Depot off of Lathrop Road.

*Lathrop Wye upgrades (it starts just north of the Manteca Unified School District office complex) and track extensions — including double tracking through Manteca.

The transfer station in north Lathrop includes a parking lot, a drop-off zone,  a long-covered pedestrian bridge to reach a center loading platform, bus transfer center, bicycle and pedestrian access and an access road for West Lathrop Road.

The parking lot could ultimately be expanded to handle 3,500 stalls. That would make it the largest parking lot in the South County with a  capacity rivaling large regional malls. There are 1,992 parking spaces at Orchard Valley in Manteca.

It also involves double tracking to a point south of the Manteca station including upgrades at numerous road crossings.

The work would cost $30 million plus and take 23 months.

A center loaded platform and pedestrian crossing would be built adjacent to the existing Manteca Transit Center along Moffat Boulevard.

This would allow for boarding when double tracking is in place.

Additional parking will be added almost to Garfield Avenue.

The Manteca work would cost $25 million — part of the cost deals with working around a PG&E pipeline — and take 22 months to construct.

Between ACE and Amtrak San Jaoquins the following is programmed to happen:

By end of 2026

*New stations opening in downtown Manteca, Modesto, Ceres, Madera, Oakley, Natomas, Midtown Sacramento, and Elk Grove.

*One new ACE round-trip will be added between Ceres and San Jose.

*An existing ACE round-trip will be extended to go from Natomas to San Jose.

By end of 2027

*New stations opening in Ripon, the North Lathrop Transfer Station, and Lodi.

*The Stockto n Diamond Grade separation will be completed to eliminate the need for trains to stop to allow Santa Fe trains to cross the Union Pacific line.

*Two new ACE round trips from Ceres to Natomas with the ability to transfer to/from San Jose at North Lathrop Transfer Station.

*A new intercity round-trip from Stockton to/from Natomas just north of downtown Sacramento across the American River.

*Assuming funding will be secured to widen bridges across the Tuolumne and Stanislaus rivers for double tracking.

By end of 2029

*New stations opening in Old North Sacramento, Turlock and Sacramento City College.

*One new San Joaquins round trip from Fresno to/from Natomas.

*ACE extension from Ceres to Turlock.

High speed rail connection

When the first segment of the California High Speed Rail system is up and running during the 2030 to 2033 time frame, new ACE stations will open in Livingston, Merced and Atwater.

ACE service would be extended to Union City south of Oakland and extended north to Chico.

At the same time, ACE service would optimize connectivity with high speed rail for an initial two southbound trains to Bakersfield.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com