A little history of the Monterey Branch Line
The subject of the Monterey Branch rail line and the associated SURF bus transit project have been discussed for awhile now in local social media and news reports. For little historic perspective I am posting below a guest commentary I had published in the Monterey Herald back in June 2010. While it may be a little dated, most of what I wrote is still valid today. ---------------------------- For ninety years Southern Pacific's Del Monte Express carried travelers between Monterey and San Francisco. Although the train remained popular to the end, it was discontinued when Amtrak took charge of passenger rail in 1971. Almost immediately, efforts to revive the train began. In 1979, when SP abandoned the tracks from Seaside to Monterey, the cities acted quickly to preserve the line for the Del Monte's return. Using state transportation funds, they purchased the right of way to the wharf depot and formally agreed to keep it available “for future passenger rail service between Mont