Zero Emission Passenger Rail & Trail Project
Project Overview
The Zero Emission Passenger Rail and Trail (ZEPRT) Project proposes a new high-capacity passenger rail service and stations on approximately 22 miles of the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line (Branch Line) from the city of Santa Cruz in the north to Pajaro, just south of Watsonville, in northern Monterey County. The project also proposes 12 miles of Coastal Rail Trail Segments 13-20 from Rio Del Mar Boulevard south through the City of Watsonville to Pajaro, as well as the Capitola Trestle portion (Segment 11, Phase 2).
The RTC completed a key milestone and accepted the ZEPRT Final Project Concept Report in December 2025. The full report includes conceptual rail and trail alignment, ridership projections, station locations and design, operations, capital and operating cost estimates, and more. The Final Project Concept identifies improvements to better connect populated areas of Santa Cruz County, support diverse transportation needs, provide bicycle and pedestrian linkages, and enhance safe access to transportation options.
Project Next Steps
The next steps for project development are on hold until additional funding is secured. Once a $20 million funding gap is addressed, the remaining preliminary engineering and environmental analysis work will proceed, followed by approval of a preferred project by the Commission, special legislation to raise the sales tax limit, and successful Countywide sales tax measure (1.5% to 2.25%) to fund the remaining project development, construction match, operations, and maintenance of the facility.
Project Benefits
The potential ZEPRT benefits shown below will be further analyzed and quantified during future project development phases.
Project Schedule
With the RTC Commission’s approval, and subject to available funding, the ZEPRT project can advance to preliminary engineering and environmental review in future phases, including stand-alone projects of independent utility.
Transportation Investment
The ZEPRT Project must reflect a transportation investment that balances merit criteria for both federal U.S. Department of Transportation discretionary grant programs and California state competitive funding programs. As funding landscapes shift at both levels, ZEPRT’s multi-benefit approach must evolve for continued investment. Pursuing future funding will require navigating the differences in how federal and state agencies define project value and long-term public benefit.
Recent shifts in federal programs signal an emphasis on priorities such as economic development, safety and cost-effectiveness. At the state level, ZEPRT remains consistent with California’s funding priorities under the discretionary Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP) and other Senate Bill (SB) 1 funding programs.
Moving forward, it will be critical to strategically consider differing audience priorities to ensure funding pursuits clearly reflect each program’s merit criteria while maintaining a consistent long-term vision for sustainable, multimodal mobility in Santa Cruz County. For funding opportunities at both state and federal levels, ZEPRT will require a detailed Benefit-Cost Analysis (BCA) to monetize and quantify project benefits such as travel time savings, reduced collisions and operational efficiencies. While a benefit cost analysis requires monetization of specific benefits from infrastructure investment, federal and state funding applications must also highlight intangible social benefits for communities.
Resources
Project Concept Report
Fact Sheets
Other Reports and Documents
- Peer Review Memo (December 2025) – Summarizes the process, key findings, and recommendations of the peer review panel held in November 2025.
- Capital Cost Description and Comparison Memo (November 2025) - Provides an overview of factors affecting the conceptual capital costs and constructability of the ZEPRT project and a comparison with capital costs and construction conditions encountered by a selection of other rail transit projects in California.
- Financial Analysis (August 2025) – Requested by the Commission, analyzes the local funds needed to cover portions of the project’s capital and operation costs.
Engagement Opportunities and Upcoming Events
No public meetings or engagement opportunities are scheduled at this time. To view summaries of past project engagement activities conducted, and community feedback received during each project milestone, click here.
To stay informed about future engagement opportunities, sign up to be added to the project mailing list and receive regular updates.
Stay Connected
EMAIL
Email questions or comments to zeprt@sccrtc.org
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