NEWS RELEASE: High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors Adopts 2020 Business Plan

Mar 25 2021 | Sacramento

The California High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors adopted the Revised 2020 Business Plan today, reaffirming the Authority’s commitment to deliver a 171-mile Merced-Fresno-Bakersfield interim electrified service line in California’s Central Valley.

“The strategy outlined in this plan presents a clear path toward completing construction in the Central Valley,” said Authority CEO Brian Kelly. “We are committed to continued progress as an organization and look forward to working with our federal, state and local leaders to bring high-speed trains to California within this decade.”

The Authority will submit the final plan to the Legislature on or before April 15. It includes the following priorities:

• Complete the 119-mile Central Valley construction segment and lay track pursuant to federal funding grant agreements with the Federal Railroad Administration;
• Expand the 119-mile Central Valley segment to 171 miles of operable electrified high-speed rail connecting Merced, Fresno and Bakersfield, three of the fastest growing areas in California;
• Commence testing of electrified high-speed trains by 2026-2027 and put those trains in service by the end of the decade;
• Environmentally clear all segments of the Phase 1 system between San Francisco and Los Angeles/Anaheim;
• Advance construction on the “bookend” projects the Authority has committed funding to in Los Angeles and the Bay Area—projects valued at more than $3 billion;
• Pursue additional funding opportunities to prospectively “close the gaps” and expand electrified high-speed rail service to the Bay Area and Los Angeles/Anaheim as soon as possible.

The Authority received more than 250 comments on the Revised Draft Business Plan.

The high-speed rail project averages 1,100 construction workers a day at 35 construction sites in the Central Valley. Nearly 77% of these workers come from eight counties in the Central Valley, with workers from 43 different California counties participating overall. For more information on the project visit www.buildhsr.com.