In 2013, SANDAG built three rail crossovers at two locations on double-tracked sections of the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) rail corridor in the City of San Diego. A crossover is an inter-track rail segment that allows passenger and freight trains to cross from one track to the other.
The northern project is located in the Bay Park/Tecolote area, generally bounded by Kane and Asher streets. The double (or universal) crossover was installed between Milton and Littlefield streets.
The southern project is in Middletown, north of Washington Street, between Witherby and Noell streets. Construction of the single crossover occured between Bandini and Estudillo streets.
The three crossovers are a reconfiguration of existing track within the railroad right-of-way, owned by the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and operated on and maintained by North County Transit District (NCTD).
The double crossover in the Bay Park/Tecolote area provides a way for freight and passenger trains to meet and pass. As a result, schedulers will be able to increase the number of daytime freight trains moving into and out of San Diego by four and lengthen the trains by 2,300 feet, providing increased goods movement. The project also will shorten the travel time between passenger trains, while improving their on-time performance.
With installation of the double crossover now complete, trains are able to switch to the opposite track in either direction; the existing double track segment functions simultaneously as a “pocket track” for waiting freight cars and passenger trains, and as a passing track to enable trains to meet and pass. The double crossover creates a virtual siding, capable of holding a full-length freight train for short periods of time.
The single crossover in the Middletown area allows southbound trains to switch from the western track to the eastern track and northbound trains to switch from the eastern track to the western track.
The double crossover will greatly reduce congestion in the Downtown San Diego freight terminal and blocking of street intersections while trains wait to enter the yard.