California High-Speed Rail Advances $35.7 Billion Valley Plan as Board Flags $86.8 Billion Gap
Updated
Updated · KATU · Jun 2
California High-Speed Rail Advances $35.7 Billion Valley Plan as Board Flags $86.8 Billion Gap
3 articles · Updated · KATU · Jun 2
Steve Kawa was unanimously elected chairman as California’s high-speed rail board also unanimously advanced its finalized business plan and approved a major track-and-systems contract.
The updated plan shifts priority from the full San Francisco-Los Angeles line to starting Central Valley passenger service first, with the Merced-Bakersfield segment now priced at about $35.7 billion.
By end-2026, the authority says it can begin laying track, with service targeted for 2033 and trains running up to eight times a day on the Valley segment.
An $86.8 billion funding shortfall still hangs over the broader project, even as officials say private-sector partners will help finance and deliver the next phase.
Public commenters and some board members said the plan still lacks clarity on scope changes, revenue ideas and local impacts, while the authority said it is not pursuing local district taxes.