High-Speed Rail Authority Issues Draft 2024 Business Plan for Public Review and Comment

February 9, 2024

SACRAMENTO, Calif. –The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) today issued its draft 2024 Business Plan for public review and comment. The draft 2024 Business Plan reaffirms the Authority’s goal of advancing a clean, electrified high-speed rail in California.

The plan discusses major program progress in Northern California, the Central Valley and Southern California, as well as updates on federal funding, ridership and construction status.  It also maintains cost and schedules from the 2023 Project Update Report, released 11 months ago.

Highlights between the 2023 Project Update Report and this draft 2024 Business Plan include:

• The Authority was awarded $3.3 billion in new federal funds to advance the work on the initial operating segment between Merced and Bakersfield.
• The Authority is advancing necessary procurements to move the project from construction into operations, including purchasing electrified trains and designing the track and systems needed for passenger service.
• The first construction package (CP 4) covering 22.5 miles in the Central Valley reached substantial completion.
• The Authority’s construction jobs exceeded 12,200 in 2023 and set records for the number of daily workers on the job sites.
• The designs for the extensions to Merced and Bakersfield, as well as the four Central Valley stations, are on schedule, meeting contract milestones for 2023.

With the release of today’s draft business plan, the Authority Board of Directors will review the plan and seek input as part of a 60-day public comment period that starts today and closes at 5 p.m. on April 9. The Authority is providing the following options for submitting comments:

• Online comment form through the Draft 2024 Business Plan website at:https://hsr-test.hsr.c.gov/2024-draft-business-plan-comment-form/
• By email at: BusinessPlan2024@hsr.ca.gov
• U.S. mail to the Authority:
  California High-Speed Rail Authority
  Attn: Draft 2024 Business Plan
  770 L Street, Suite 1180
  Sacramento, CA 95814
• Provide public comment at the upcoming Board of Directors Meeting within the public comment period virtually or in person on February 29, 2024 in Sacramento.

The Authority has begun work to extend the 119 miles currently under construction to 171 miles of future electrified high-speed rail from Merced to Bakersfield.

There are more than 25 active construction sites in California’s Central Valley, with the Authority having also fully environmentally cleared 422 miles of the high-speed rail program from the Bay Area to Los Angeles County.

The following link contains recent video, animations, photography, press center resources and latest renderings: https://hsra.app.box.com/s/vyvjv9hckwl1dk603ju15u07fdfir2q8

These files are all available for free use, courtesy of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.