Trains consisting of a locomotive and one to six passenger cars, according to demand, will move rather slowly along the original trolley lines, revitalizing these areas by making them more pedestrian friendly as the predictable train is on a track and doesn't exceed 30 mph, with many stops providing a steady 12-13 mph average travel speed throughout the city.

Due to this deliberate low speed design, even the track can be much less aggressive and neighborhood friendly than used for high speed electric, which has a place for longer distances, but not through residential neighborhoods.

On sunny days, all the energy can be collected using high efficiency thermal solar collectors, and as the system expands, recharge stations can be built as needed. For example, recharge stations at Folsom and Truckee would probably enable a round trip to Lake Tahoe on the SolarTrain with zero energy cost, using existing technology, and with zero emissions!

Historic rail routes in Sacramento