Sacramento’s Blue Line riders are in for some choppy trips this week and into April, as crews shut down multiple stations, roll out shuttle buses, and jack up platforms while a new River District station is hooked into the system. It is all part of SacRT’s push to prep stations for a new fleet of low floor trains, and the work is set to ripple across commutes along the north stretch of the Blue Line.
Where and when stations will close
SacRT is breaking the work into phases, with weekend tie ins for the future Dos Rios station followed by a longer closure window at the end of March that stretches into early April for platform upgrades. At different points, service interruptions will hit between Marconi/Arcade and Cathedral Square and between Marconi/Arcade and Alkali Flat/La Valentina. Stations on the temporary closure list include Swanston, Royal Oaks, Arden/Del Paso, Globe, Alkali Flat/La Valentina and 12th & I, according to Sacramento Regional Transit.
Shuttles, pick ups and what to expect
SacRT says shuttle buses will cycle between the affected stops roughly every 20 to 30 minutes, with pick up points shifting depending on the date and direction of travel. During some of the construction windows, Royal Oaks will not have shuttle service at all, so riders there will need to use nearby Arden/Del Paso or other listed pick up locations. Riders are urged to double check first and last train times for mornings and evenings at each station in the posted schedules, according to Sacramento Regional Transit.
Why crews are doing this and the new trains
The closures are part of the Light Rail Modernization Program, which is raising platforms and finishing the Dos Rios station so SacRT can run Siemens S700 low floor trains across the system. The upgrades, part of a multi year effort that will modify roughly 15 Blue Line stations through 2027, are designed to allow level boarding at the platform, deployable ramps at center doors and wider aisles for riders using mobility devices. As reported by The Sacramento Bee, SacRT currently has about 29 S700 cars in service on the Gold Line and has funding and contract options to add many more vehicles.
Plan your trip
Riders should brace for longer travel times, build in extra minutes for transfers and think about alternate routes or flexible schedules while the work is underway. For the full day by day closure schedule, shuttle pick up locations and real time alerts, local coverage and agency notices point riders to SacRT’s station closure pages for the latest details. Mass Transit and other local outlets are tracking the dates and detours.
