Critical rail projects on fast track to nowhere as funding sources dry up. (Up Front).

State and federal funding crunches could delay or scale back two major rail congestion relief projects in L.A. County, resulting in more delays for shippers and Amtrak and Metrolink commuters.

The projects, with a combined price tag of $400 million, are aimed at fixing bottlenecks in L.A.'s rail network. One would reconfigure the tracks at Union Station, at a cost of between $180 million and $200 million; the other would add a track and several grade separations to a rail artery through southeast L.A. County and cost up to $230 million.

Both Amtrak and Metrolink have been forced to shelve plans to add four and 10 trains, respectively, to their routes as a result of the congestion.

"These tracks are completely maxed out," said Sarah Swain, spokeswoman for Amtrak's Western division in Oakland. "Not only can't we expand service, but if there's any problem at all with any of the trains using the tracks, it backs things up terribly."

Joanna Capelle, grants and strategic development manager for Metrolink, said the commuter service can't meet demand for added service because the tracks "can't handle a single more train from anybody."

In 1939, Union Station became the last major railroad terminal to open in the United States, designed to be the terminus for long-distance passenger trains approaching from the north.

After the terminal opened, a mile-long loop was constructed to connect with tracks running south from the station. Amtrak's north-south trains through the station now represent the greatest source of traffic, leaving trains to navigate the loop twice -- once coming in and once in reverse as they leave -- just to keep going in the same direction. This adds about 15 minutes to travel times.

In addition, the Metrolink regional commuter system is using the station.

"It's an antiquated layout that has far outlived its usefulness," said Bill Bronte, chief officer of rail capital projects for the California Department of Transportation.

The solution devised by rail planners over the last several years is to take out the loop, construct a rail bridge over the Hollywood (101) Freeway and connect directly with the tracks to the south around the 1st Street bridge over the L.A. River.

The new bridge structures and tracks would cost between $185 million and $200 million; a more definitive cost figure will come with the completion of some of the design work later this year.

To date, though, only $12 million has been allocated for design work. The rest of the funding is uncertain at best. Local transportation and economic development officials are seeking $90 million each from Sacramento and Washington.

But, in the current fiscal environment, those funds are not likely to flow anytime soon.

"The funding situation is so uncertain that we haven't even put a timeline on this project," Bronte said.

One more line.

Freight trains, too, have been jammed up as a result of more traffic.

The pair of tracks along the 15-mile artery running southeast from the city of Commerce to Fullerton in Orange County, roughly paralleling the Santa Ana (5) Freeway, have reached capacity.

Originally built decades ago to accommodate a modest number of freight trains, they have been unable to handle the traffic that has exploded over the last decade, especially with the opening of the Alameda Corridor. What's more, Amtrak and Metrolink use the same tracks for their ever-expanding service.

Local transportation planners want to add a third set of tracks at a cost of $80 million. At the same time, grade separations are planned for eight crossings to relieve congestion on nearby surface streets that the tracks cross. Total cost for those: $150 million.

To date, only $30 million has been allocated for the project: $22 million for the portion in Orange County -- where some work has begun -- and $8 million for track switches and other minor work at the northwestern end in Commerce.

The rest of the funding is in limbo, and so are completion dates. Gay. Gray Davis earmarked $65 million for the project three years ago as part of his transportation congestion relief program. But in this year's proposed budget, that program has been stripped of its funding, leaving all its projects to compete with all other transportation-related projects.

Local transportation officials recently traveled to Washington seeking another $90 million for the track addition, but competition for scarce federal transportation funds is also expected to be fierce.

"This is all at risk now," said Bronte of funding for the triple track and grade separation project.

As a result, he said, planners now have put a priority on completing grade separations at Rosecrans Avenue and Valley View Street. "These two streets have very high volumes of traffic and are an absolute priority," Bronte said.

The other grade separations would come after the third set of tracks is built -- if there's funding, he said.

Whatever the case, it will be several years before that extra track is built, which leaves Amtrak and Metrolink riders stuck with the limited service they now have.