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Building Contract for Metrolink Sidings Goes to Granite

Published: November 10, 2026

By: Adam Burns

Granite Construction said on November 5, 2026, in Watsonville, that the Southern California Regional Rail Authority, which operates Metrolink, has awarded it a $51.5 million contract in the Southern California Optimized Rail Expansion program, or SCORE. The project will be included in Granite’s fourth quarter 2026 CAP.

Metrolink train 850 at the San Clemente Pier April 8 2011

Metrolink's train 850 heads north led by F59PH #863 as it passes the entrance to the San Clemente Pier on the morning of April 8, 2011. Doug Kroll photo.

What Granite says

The SCORE Bundled Marengo & Rancho Cucamonga Siding Extension Projects will construct two rail sidings, one near downtown Los Angeles and the other in Rancho Cucamonga. Granite says the improvements are designed to increase rail capacity and support growing transportation demand across Southern California. The project will also help accommodate mobility needs associated with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games, while supporting a broader long-term strategy to increase regional rail capacity beyond 2028.

“Winning the first project procured under the SCORE program supports our regional rail strategy and positions us well to pursue future work as the program advances,” says Bill Moore, Granite regional vice president. “We have had successful rail projects with the Riverside County Transportation Commission, and I look forward to bringing that experience to our new relationship with Metrolink. I’m excited that Granite is so involved in increasing the mobility of the travelling public in LA and the Inland Empire.”

Granite says construction is expected to begin in January 2027 and reach completion in July 2028.

What Metrolink says

Metrolink’s September 2026 issue of The Link calls the same work a proposed award of a construction contract for siding extensions on the San Bernardino Line. In July, the Metrolink Board of Directors authorized a $51.5 million construction contract with Granite Construction Company. Metrolink says construction is anticipated to begin later this year, and that both projects are scheduled to be completed ahead of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The same account says, “With construction imminent, Metrolink is another step closer to realizing the promise of more frequent and flexible rail service between Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.”

Metrolink says the San Bernardino Line carries more riders than any other line on its system and is also used by freight providers and long-haul Amtrak trains. The projects extend sidings in Rancho Cucamonga and Los Angeles so trains traveling in opposite directions can pass one another more efficiently, and so operational constraints that can contribute to delays are reduced.

On Metrolink’s account, the Rancho Cucamonga project will extend the existing siding by approximately 4,150 feet west of Rancho Cucamonga Station, bringing the siding to approximately three miles. The work also includes improvements at the Hellman Avenue and Archibald Avenue grade crossings, along with signal and drainage upgrades. Closer to Los Angeles Union Station, the Marengo project will add approximately 3,500 feet to the existing siding near Cal State LA, creating a passing track approximately two miles long. New signals, railroad infrastructure, and improvements near the Marengo and Soto Street overpasses are included.

Metrolink says that, along with other SCORE enhancements, these investments will unlock the infrastructure capacity needed to support 30-minute bidirectional service during high-ridership periods as demand grows and operating funding becomes available. The agency names the funding as a combination of the California Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program, or TIRCP, and federal Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Olympics readiness funding.

Related reading on American-Rails.com

Sources

  • Granite Construction, “Granite Awarded $51.5 Million SCORE Rail Siding Projects in Southern California,” Watsonville, Calif., November 5, 2026, Business Wire 20261105007896, graniteconstruction.com/newsroom/granite-awarded-515-million-score-rail-siding-projects-southern-california. Contract of $51.5 million from the Southern California Regional Rail Authority (Metrolink), SCORE program, included in fourth quarter 2026 CAP. Two sidings, one near downtown Los Angeles and one in Rancho Cucamonga. Bill Moore, regional vice president, both sentences, including travelling. Construction expected to begin in January 2027 and reach completion in July 2028. Media contact Erin Kuhlman, 831-768-4111. Investor contact Wenjun Xu, 831-761-7861.
  • Metrolink, “Metrolink Awards Construction Contract for Critical SCORE Investments,” The Link, September 2026 issue, metrolinktrains.com/the-link/september-2026-metrolink-awards/. Proposed award. In July the board authorized a $51.5 million construction contract with Granite Construction Company. Construction is anticipated to begin later this year, with completion ahead of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The account also says construction is imminent. San Bernardino Line carries more riders than any other Metrolink line and is also used by freight providers and long-haul Amtrak trains. Rancho Cucamonga: approximately 4,150 feet west of the station, siding to approximately three miles, Hellman Avenue and Archibald Avenue grade crossings, signal and drainage upgrades. Marengo: approximately 3,500 feet near Cal State LA, passing track approximately two miles long, new signals, railroad infrastructure, and improvements near the Marengo and Soto Street overpasses. With other SCORE work, infrastructure capacity for 30-minute bidirectional service during high-ridership periods as demand grows and operating funding becomes available. Funding named as California TIRCP and federal T-HUD Olympics readiness funding, with no dollar split.

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