Santa Cruz And Monterey Bay Railway

This project is an excellent example of what could be possible for the Rail/Trail corridor in Sacramento/El Dorado County.


A community event to commemorate public ownership and demonstrate potential use of the rail corridor
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Join your family, friends, and neighbors for ribbon cutting whistle stops throughout the community commemorating this newly acquired transportation asset. The 32-mile rail corridor now belongs to the people of Santa Cruz County and offers a huge range of mobility options and opportunities.
Event will be held rain or shine!
Ribbon Cuttings/Whistle Stops
Come to one or to all five! Each event will have its own local flavor and feature history, music, and refreshments and a ticket give-away.
9 to 10 am – WATSONVILLE
At the old depot at Beach and Walker Streets.
Co-hosts: Graniterock, Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce, City of Watsonville
10 to 11 am – APTOS
Near Bayview Hotel
Co-host: County of Santa Cruz.
11 to Noon – CAPITOLA
Next to the Old Train Depot at Monterey and Park Avenues.
Co-host: City of Capitola
Noon to 1 pm – LIVE OAK
Behind Simpkins Family Swim Center.
Co-host: County of Santa Cruz
1 to 6 pm – WESTSIDE SANTA CRUZ
Off Ingalls Street, between Swift and Fair.
Co-hosts: Swift Street Courtyard, Swift Street Commons, Friends of the Rail & Trail, Ecology Action
Free Train Rides
The RTC and Santa Cruz & Monterey Bay Railway will offer free preview train rides for a short jaunt up the coast and back available from the Westside Santa Cruz Whistle Stop every hour between 2 and 6 pm. Reserved seat tickets will be available in the following locations:
Tickets available here starting at noon on November 8th. Limited to 4 tickets per household. Reserved tickets will be held at “Will Call” at the Westside Santa Cruz Stop until 15 minutes before the train leaves.
Ticket giveaways at each of the Whistle Stops.
Standby seats will be available on hourly train runs as excess capacity is determined. First come, first served.
Related Events organized by others
Friday, November 16, 7pm, Room 450, Cabrillo College, Aptos, FREE
Lecture and slide show by award-winning local historian Sandy Lydon titled “Wrestling the Octopus: How Santa Cruz Railroad fought the mighty Southern Pacific and forever changed Santa Cruz County.“ Doors open one hour early, seating limited to 250.
Saturday, November 17, 11am – 12pm, Depot Inn, Capitola, FREE
Guided tours historic former train station originally built in 1901! The depot was converted to an inn in 1990.
Saturday, November 17, 8am to 5pm, at all whistle stops, fee
Bus tour shadowing the train to all five whistle stops including history commentary by Sandy Lydon
Sunday, November 18, 8:30am – 6pm, various locations, fee
Rail Walk – Hop-Off/Hop-On Railwalk Adventure – Walking and bus tour with Sandy Lydon, estimated 5 aggregate mile walk in parts. Participants must be able to walk on uneven ground at a reasonable pace.
Sunday, November 18 –January 6, fee
Train to Christmas Town – The Santa Cruz & Monterey Bay Railway unveils its newest holiday train ride called “The Train to Christmas Town.” Along the hour-long ride departing from Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, passengers are served hot cocoa and gingerbread cookies, talk with characters from the just-published holiday book, visit Christmas Town, and listen to a new musical score created specifically for the event by four-time Grammy nominated band Trout Fishing in America. https://www.traintochristmastown.com/
Send your rail related event listing ideas to: info@sccrtc.org
New event information will be added as it becomes available. Check back often!
Event Sponsors:
Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC)
Santa Cruz & Monterey Bay Railway
C&N Tractors
Ecology Action
Friends of the Rail & Trail
Graniterock
Miller & Owen law firm
Event Co-hosts:
Aptos History Museum
Aptos Vallage Merchants
Carolyn Swift, local historian
City of Capitola
City of Watsonville
Live Oak Family Resource Center
Monte Vista School
Norm Poitevin, local historian
Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce
Sandy Lydon, local historian
Seacliff Homeowners Association
Swift Street Courtyard
Swift Street Commons
Santa Cruz Boys & Girls Club
Santa Cruz Cycling Club
Soquel High School
Talmage Construction
Find out more about acquisition of the rail corridor.
RTC Contact
Karena Pushnik
Senior Transportation Planner
info@sccrtc.org
(831) 460-3200
EVENT INFORMATION