Californians narrowly approved about $10 billion for a high-speed rail system between the Bay Area and Southern California in 2008. It’s been 15 years since the vote.
Here’s a look at the latest cost and time estimates for the completion of California’s high-speed rail.
In 2015, construction began on a viaduct in Madera County, the first visible sign of the high-speed rail project. The cost estimate was about $68 billion for the project then. The 119-mile Central Valley segment (Merced to Bakersfield) is still under construction and not expected to have passenger service until between 2030 and 2033.
The state requires the High-Speed Rail Authority to prepare a project update every odd year and in its 2023 report, it said that, “the biggest risk we face is full funding – over which we have very little control.”
The original goal of the project was to go from San Francisco to Anaheim, with another phase connecting Sacramento and San Diego. In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced in his State of the State address that the length of the high-speed rail line under construction in the Central Valley will be shorter, instead between Madera and Bakersfield.
Phase 1 of the project consists of multiple segments. The first is the Central Valley segment, which is 119 miles. The second segment extends north to Merced. The third segment would be extending it to San Francisco and then to Anaheim on what will be called the Valley-to-Valley segment.
In 2023, 171 miles are environmentally cleared and 119 miles are under construction, with 52 miles in advanced design. Here’s a look at the progress and the Legislative Analyst’s Office assessment for 2023:
In 2015, construction began on the 119-mile Central Valley segment (Madera to Bakersfield). Testing of trains on the line isn’t expected until 2028.
Is there funding?
The Legislative Analyst’s Office shows that between federal funds and state funds, $23.5 billion to $25.2 billion is available for the…
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