Rep. John Garamendi joins push to keep Antioch Amtrak station open

U.S. Rep. John Garamendi, D-Fairfield, on Wednesday sent a letter to the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority's Board of Directors opposing the proposed closure of the Amtrak Station in Antioch .

Garamendi sent the letter at the request of constituents Antioch Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe and concerned residents of Antioch and Contra Costa County.

"Residents of Antioch and elsewhere in Contra Costa County rely on Amtrak to commute to and from work, school, and essential services in neighboring communities across the Bay Area and into the Central Valley," Garamendi wrote. "Evidently, the Joint Powers Authority's planned closure of the Amtrak station in Antioch coincides with the opening of a new Amtrak station in Oakley."

The San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority, the body that oversees intercity passenger rail service in the area, voted in March 2023 to close the train station. Garamendi said the JPA has cited crime and homelessness as deciding factors in the closure of the station.

"Removing passenger rail service is not a solution to crime and homelessness, but rather further disadvantages the community," Garamendi wrote. "The Joint Powers Authority's decision to close the station, rather than work to address these problems, disappoints me and my constituents. The city of Antioch has taken steps to improve public safety at the Amtrak station, such as demolishing the station shelter to clear unsafe homeless encampments in 2019."

Garamendi said he was "deeply unsatisfied" with the explanations offered by the Joint Powers Authority on its rationale for closing the station.

"Moreover, I am awaiting a specific plan for how the Joint Powers Authority will facilitate public transit for the Contra Costa County residents affected by this closure," he said.

Messages left at the office of Diane Burgis, county supervisor and Contra Costa County's representative on the JPA, were not immediately returned Wednesday afternoon.

Garamendi also made specific requests of the JPA, including that it postpone the closure until some issues are vetted and addressed.

"The Joint Powers Authority has cited the number of calls for (police/emergency response) service to the Antioch-Pittsburg station as a primary reason for the closure. However, nearby Amtrak stations have significantly greater volumes of calls for service," he said.

Garamendi said if the JPA or Amtrak's agreement with BNSF Railway precludes two passenger rail stops less than 6 miles apart, he wants to see documentation of this requirement for public review.

"Was the Joint Powers Authority planning to decommission the Antioch-Pittsburg station regardless of the new Amtrak station opening in Oakley?" Garamendi asked. "If so, when, where, why, and how was this decision made by the Joint Powers Authority? Was the public given ample opportunity for public comment to inform this decision?"

Garamendi also asked, "If closed, how will current riders from the Antioch-Pittsburg station be made aware of the new timetables at the Oakley station? If closed, will the Joint Powers Authority or Amtrak provide a shuttle available to bring Antioch residents to and from the Oakley station?"