Windsor station is a bus station and future

Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) is a rail line and bicycle-pedestrian pathway project in Sonoma and Marin counties of the U.S. state of California. When completed, the entire system will serve a corridor between Cloverdale in north ...

(SMART)

train station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing suc ...

Windsor, California Windsor is an incorporated town in Sonoma County, California, United States. The town is 9 miles north of Santa Rosa and 63 miles north of San Francisco. The population was 26,801 as of the 2010 census. Windsor was once home to a waterslide par ...

. The station serves

Sonoma County Transit Sonoma County Transit is a public transportation system based in Sonoma County, California. Cities and communities served As the primary bus system in the county, Sonoma County Transit (SCT) operates to the following communities, listed by zone: ...

and Mendocino Transit Authority, with service to

Sonoma County Airport station Sonoma County Airport station is a Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit train station in Santa Rosa, east of Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport. It opened to preview service on July 1, 2017; full commuter service commenced on August 25, 2017. ...

provided by Sonoma County Transit under contract by SMART.

History

The station building was built by the

Northwestern Pacific Railroad The Northwestern Pacific Railroad is a regional shortline railroad utilizing a stretch of the 271 mile mainline between Schellville and Windsor with freight and Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit (SMART) commuter trains. Formerly, it was a regi ...

in the early 1900s. The station last closed to passenger service after November 10, 1958. In 2008, the

station building A station building, also known as a head house, is the main building of a passenger railway station. It is typically used principally to provide services to passengers. A station building is a component of a station, which can include tracks, p ...

was rebuilt by the city for $1.4 million ($ in adjusted for inflation) as an intermodal station in anticipation of serving passengers on the then-proposed

(SMART)

commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...

line. Service to Windsor Station was not included in the first phase of SMART, which began service as far north as the station near

Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport is 7 miles (11 km) northwest of downtown Santa Rosa, California, in Sonoma County, California, United States. The airport is named after Charles M. Schulz, the famed cartoonist of the ''Peanuts'' ...

in 2017. Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit is constructing an extension to Windsor, with service further north to

Healdsburg station Healdsburg station is a former and future rail station in Healdsburg, California. It will be served by Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit after a further phase of construction. The Northwestern Pacific Railroad began serving Healdsburg in July 1 ...

and

Cloverdale station Cloverdale station is a bus station and future intermodal passenger transport, intermodal station in Cloverdale, California. It is served by Amtrak Thruway and Sonoma County Transit buses. Additional service to Sonoma County Airport station is pr ...

in a future phase. The extension is expected to cost $55 million: $20 million from

Road Repair and Accountability Act The Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (Senate Bill 1), also known as the "Gas Tax", is a California legislative bill that was passed on April 6, 2017 with the aim of repairing roads, improving traffic safety, and expanding public tran ...

funds, $30 million in Regional Measure 3 funds, and a $5 million federal grant. In September 2018, the SMART board approved $24 million in construction contracts, with service to Windsor expected to begin in late 2021 or early 2022. In 2020 the project completion was delayed to later in 2022 as funding from a recent bridge toll increase was withheld pending litigation. By spring of 2022 the SMART extension was 30% complete, but the lawsuit related to toll increases as well as a separate suit regarding use of the right-of-way had delayed the station's opening indefinitely. The lawsuit was dismissed in January 2023, freeing up $40 million for SMART, and the agency received a $34 million state grant in February. At that time, SMART intended to wait until June 2023 to determine whether it would have sufficient funding to combine a further extension to Healdsburg with the completion of the Windsor extension. If the full $113 million in additional grants is received, Windsor service would begin in 2025 or 2026, and Healdsburg service by 2027. In June 2023, the agency received a $30 million state grant, sufficient to complete the Windsor extension. Construction resumed in late 2023 with an expected opening date of 2025.

References

External links

SMART - StationsSonoma County Transit - Windsor
Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit stations in Sonoma County Future Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit stations 2008 establishments in California Railway stations scheduled to open in 2025 Windsor, California Bus stations in the San Francisco Bay Area Former Northwestern Pacific Railroad stations {{SonomaCountyCA-railstation-stub