Tri-valley - San Joaquin Regional Rail Authority

What Tri-valley - San Joaquin Regional Rail Authority does

The Tri-Valley - San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority is a California joint powers authority (JPA) established on January 17, 2018, that plans and develops the Valley Link passenger rail service. The authority is governed by a 15-member Board of Directors drawn from member agencies including the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC), Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE), the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC), the San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG), and 11 cities across Alameda and San Joaquin counties. Headquartered at 2600 Kitty Hawk Road, Suite 103, in Livermore, California, the authority operates as a non-profit government entity with 11–50 employees and is led by Executive Director/CEO Kevin Sheridan and Board Chair Robert Rickman.

The core product is a 42-mile, 7-station passenger rail system connecting the Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station to North Lathrop Station in San Joaquin County. Phase 1A covers an 11-mile initial operating segment from Dublin/Pleasanton to the Vasco Road ACE Station in Livermore, deploying zero-emission battery-electric multiple unit vehicles with charging infrastructure and supporting substations at both station ends and a new Operations and Maintenance Facility. Phase 1A is planned to provide all-day, bi-directional service at 15-minute peak frequencies. Phase 1B adds an 11-mile extension to the Mountain House Community Station. The project uses a Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) delivery model with AECOM serving as project management and technical advisor; a General Engineering Consultant RFP (2026-01) is planned for Spring 2026, and a Future Vehicles Procurement RFI is underway. The CEQA Environmental Impact Report was certified in May 2021 and CEQA/NEPA environmental review was certified for Phase 1 in 2024.

The authority is pre-revenue and funded through public-sector grants and appropriations rather than commercial sales. Committed capital of roughly $465 million includes $400 million from ACTC, a $25 million state award, $20 million in federal funding advanced by Rep. Swalwell, $10.1 million from MTC, $10 million from SJCOG, and a $750,000 Regional Rail Authority grant. ACE has been selected to operate the service once built, and BART Dublin/Pleasanton and ACE Vasco Road will serve as the intermodal anchors. End users are commuters — over 105,000 Bay Area workers travel daily over Altamont Pass, and four planned stations serve disadvantaged or low-income communities in Northern San Joaquin County. The project is projected to carry 30,000 riders per day by 2040, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 32,220–42,650 metric tons, and create 22,000 construction jobs plus 400 permanent jobs per year.

Name

Tri-valley - San Joaquin Regional Rail Authority

Legal name

Tri-Valley - San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority

Website

https://www.valleylinkrail.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Tri-Valley - San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority is a California joint powers authority developing Valley Link, a 42-mile, 7-station zero-emission passenger rail service connecting the Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station to North Lathrop for Bay Area and San Joaquin Valley commuters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Passenger Rail Transit Services

NAICS

Commuter Rail Systems (485112), Support Activities for Rail Transportation (4882)

akta.pro primary industry

Rail Infrastructure Authorities (Track, Stations, Grade Crossings) (BPAIALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Event & Peak-Only Commuter Rail Services (THAIACAI), Rail Electrification Systems Construction (OCS/OHL, Third Rail) (IMAFAFAB)

Keywords

• Passenger rail service
• Public transit
• Commuter rail
• Transit infrastructure
• Zero-emission rail

Headquarters

HQ city

Livermore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Public Transportation Fares: Revenue from passenger fares collected for rail service on the Valley Link system once operational.
2. Federal Funding: Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding and federal appropriations advanced through the federal funding pipeline for project development.
3. State Funding: California state funding including $25 million state award for project development and TIRCP funding.
4. Regional/Local Funding: Funding from regional agencies including MTC ($10.1 million), ACTC ($400 million), SJCOG ($10 million), and Tri-Valley Transportation Council strategic expenditure plan.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Tri-Valley - San Joaquin Regional Rail Authority plans, funds, and develops the Valley Link Rail Service — a 42-mile zero-emission passenger rail system connecting the Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station in Alameda County to North Lathrop Station in San Joaquin County. Phase 1 is being delivered in two segments: Phase 1A (11 miles, Dublin/Pleasanton to Vasco Road ACE Station) uses battery-electric multiple unit trains and three new stations; Phase 1B extends service to Mountain House. The authority also procures CM/GC pre-construction and General Engineering Consultant services for project delivery.

Product overview

Valley Link is a 42-mile passenger rail service operated by the Tri-Valley – San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority. The service consists of the core Valley Link Rail Service connecting Bay Area workers from the Northern San Joaquin Valley to the Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station, implemented in two phases: Phase 1A (Dublin/Pleasanton to Vasco Road ACE Station, featuring battery-electric train technology with three stations and an Operations and Maintenance Facility) and Phase 1B (Southfront Road to Mountain House, pending funding). Additional services include pre-construction management services, general engineering consultant services, and a future vehicles procurement initiative. The system is designed to provide all-day, bi-directional service at 15-minute frequencies during peak commute periods, projected to carry 30,000 riders daily by 2040.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Valley Link Rail Service A 42-mile, 7-station zero-emission passenger rail service connecting over 105,000 Bay Area workers traveling daily over the Altamont Pass between the Dublin/Pleasanton BART Station in Alameda County and North Lathrop Station in San Joaquin County, providing a transit alternative to the congested Interstate 580 corridor.
• CM/GC Pre-Construction Services Construction Manager/General Contractor (CM/GC) pre-construction services for the Valley Link Phase 1A Rail Project, provided during the development of Plans, Specifications and Estimates (PS&E).
• General Engineering Consultant (GEC) Services General Engineering Consultant services for the Valley Link Rail Project under the Construction Manager/General Contractor (CMGC) delivery model, providing technical expertise across highway, urban rapid transit, rail systems, stations, facilities, and civil design disciplines.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 32,220 to 42,650 metric tons by 2040
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LindecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLinde entered a strategic collaboration with Valley Link, likely related to hydrogen fuel technology. Valley Link has advanced vision to operate on self-produced green hydrogen fuel, and Linde's expertise in industrial gases and hydrogen infrastructure makes this a significant strategic partnership for the project's sustainable energy strategy.
• Altamont Corridor Express (ACE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACE has been selected to operate the new Valley Link service. This operational partnership creates seamless regional rail connectivity between BART and ACE services, enabling cross-platform transfers at Vasco Road Station and connecting the Valley Link system into the broader Altamont Corridor Express network.
• Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBART is the key connection point for Valley Link at the Dublin/Pleasanton Station. The intermodal connection enables riders to transfer between Valley Link and BART's rapid transit system, bringing new riders to the broader Bay Area transit system and creating seamless regional connectivity.
• San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSJRRC is both a member agency and the operator of ACE service. As a founding member of the Tri-Valley - San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority, SJRRC plays a governance role in the Valley Link project alongside operating the ACE service that connects with Valley Link.
• AECOMminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAECOM serves as the project management and technical advisor for Valley Link. Contact for the Future Vehicles Procurement RFI is directed through [email protected], indicating AECOM's role in supporting procurement processes.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Altamont Corridor Express (ACE): ACE is the existing commuter rail service operated by SJRRC along the Altamont Corridor from San Joaquin to San Jose/Great America. It is a direct peer in passenger rail service on the same corridor, and has been selected as the operator for Valley Link.
• Capitol Corridor Joint Powers Authority: Capitol Corridor is a California intercity passenger rail JPA operating between Sacramento and the Bay Area via Oakland/San Jose. It is a direct peer in California JPA-governed passenger rail service and shares operational and funding model characteristics with Valley Link.
• Caltrain (Peninsula Corridor JPB): Caltrain is a California commuter rail JPA operating between San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties. It is a directly comparable JPA-structured commuter rail service with electrification underway, parallel to Valley Link's battery-electric deployment.
• Metrolink (Southern California Regional Rail Authority): Metrolink is a Southern California JPA commuter rail system serving five counties from Los Angeles to San Bernardino and Oceanside. It is a directly comparable multi-county JPA commuter rail model, providing the closest institutional analog for Valley Link's 15-member agency coalition.
• NCTD Coaster: NCTD operates the Coaster commuter rail service along the San Diego County coastline. Comparable as a regional commuter rail serving commuters between residential suburbs and a major employment center (San Diego), with similar scale and bi-directional peak service.
• Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART): SMART is a Northern California commuter rail serving Sonoma and Marin counties. Directly comparable as a California commuter rail system targeting suburban-to-employment-center commuters with phased infrastructure rollouts.

Broad incumbents

• BART (San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District): BART is the major Bay Area rapid transit system and Valley Link's intermodal hub at Dublin/Pleasanton. Comparable as a much larger, established passenger rail system that Valley Link feeds into, with overlapping governance and ridership.

Regional players

• Metra (Chicago): Metra operates commuter rail in the Chicago metropolitan area across multiple lines serving suburban-to-downtown commuters. Comparable as a peer commuter rail system with similar peak-direction demand profile and multi-line operations.
• MBTA Commuter Rail: MBTA Commuter Rail operates across the Greater Boston region. Comparable as a peer commuter rail system of similar scale, serving suburban-to-urban commuters with established bi-directional service.
• Long Island Rail Road (MTA LIRR): LIRR is the nation's busiest commuter railroad, operating across Long Island and into Manhattan. Comparable as a peer commuter rail system serving long-distance suburb-to-urban commuters with high peak-frequency service.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjy083hxD0FTmE02PE8mEug/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/Valley-Link-Rail-2319698761592196
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/valleylink

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tri-valley - San Joaquin Regional Rail Authority