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When it arrives, ACE will offer hassle free access to the Bay Area, Sacramento
• Cereans will be able to board at downtown platform
Valley Rail map
The Valley Rail program presented this train station map earlier this year to the Ceres City Council. ACE train service is not expected to become a reality in Ceres until late 2026.

Once the ACE train reaches Ceres in 2026, residents will be able to hop on to ride to either Sacramento or the Bay Area and not have a worry about driving in traffic snaking slowly over the Altamont Pass or up Highway 99.

ACE currently operates four westbound trains in the morning from Stockton to San Jose and four eastbound trains in the afternoon from San Jose to Stockton during weekdays only. Plans call for an extension to Ceres with stop platforms in downtown Manteca, Ripon, Modesto and Ceres. A platform will be constructed in Ceres between the southbound lanes of Highway 99 and Railroad Avenue which will be accessible only from the east side of the freeway. Users would park east of the freeway and walk underneath the existing overpass.

There are 10 ACE stations along the existing route (from west to east): San Jose Diridon, Santa Clara and Great America stations in Santa Clara County; Fremont, Pleasanton, Livermore, and Vasco Road stations in Alameda County; and Tracy, Lathrop/Manteca, and Stockton stations in San Joaquin County.

Service to Sacramento will be accomplished after work is done on the Natomas and Elk Grove stops.

ACE trains usually consist of one diesel locomotive and five 4 to seven bi-level passenger coaches and can reach a top speed of 79 miles per hour.

ACE, started in 1998 and serves over one million riders annually.

A segment of the high-speed rail from Bakersfield to Merced could be up and running by the end of the decade.

Initially, three trains will depart Ceres Monday through Friday. All three will make stops in Modesto, Ripon and downtown Manteca.

Two trains will continue north to Lathrop-Manteca, Stockton, Elk Grove, midtown Sacramento, and Natomas north of the American River ending several miles from Sacramento International Airport.

One train will head toward San Jose with stops at Lathrop-Manteca, Tracy, Vasco Road, Livermore, Pleasanton, Fremont, Great America/Santa Clara and finally San Jose.

Additional trains are planned after the service is established.

Ultimately, ACE will be extended to Merced to connect with the California High Speed Rail system.

Because significant work like double tracking needs to take place between Ceres and Turlock, ACE train service likely won’t be offered to Turlock until 2029 and Livingston and Merced by 2030.