Construction Begins On Marin County Portion Of SMART Rail Line

MARIN COUNTY (KCBS) - Construction has begun on the southern portion of the Sonoma-Marin Rail Transit line.

Crews will spend January and February replacing old wooden train crossings with smooth new concrete ones up and down the right of way through Marin County.

"There are four crossings in Novato and two in San Rafael that are scheduled for work in those two months. That will be followed in later months by replacement of the track," said spokeswoman Carolyn Glendening.

KCBS' Doug Sovern Reports:

Construction has already started in Sonoma County.

Glendening said the agency has also finalized plans to spend $6 million on additional train cars.

"What this additional train car set will do is let us offer full service to that additional station and future stations as we continue expanding the route," she said.

The first phase of SMART will run from San Rafael to Santa Rosa, with eventual extensions south to Larkspur and north to Cloverdale. Glendening said SMART train service should begin in 2015 or early 2016.

The railroad will also bring a new bicycle and hiking path that covers more than 70 miles.

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