California High-Speed Rail

The California High-Speed Rail project is a planned high-speed rail system in the state of California and headed by the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA). Initial funding for the project was approved by California voters on November 4, 2008, with the passage of Proposition 1A authorizing the issuance of US$9.95 billion in general obligation bonds for the project. The CHSRA is currently tasked with completing final planning, design, and environmental efforts. The system would serve major cities including Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, Fresno, Bakersfield, Palmdale, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Riverside, Irvine, and San Diego.

On July 6, 2012, the California legislature approved construction financing for an initial stage of the project. Gov. Jerry Brown signed the bill on July 18. The funding approved includes $4.5 billion in bonds previously approved by voters, which, in turn, freed up $3.2 billion in federal funding that would otherwise have expired after July 6. $2.6 billion will be used to build an initial 130-mile segment of high-speed line from Madera to Bakersfield in the Central Valley. This initial operating segment will be used when completed for Amtrak's San Joaquin service. Another $1.9 billion will be used to improve existing commuter rail systems, Caltrain (Gilroy-San Francisco (Gilroy-Tamien new trackage due to existing right-of-way being freight-owned)) in the San Francisco area, and Metrolink in LA (Los Angeles-Anaheim (new trackage would have to be built since the existing trackage between the two cities is the BNSF Railway-owned Southern Transcon)), which will later be used to carry the high speed trains into the respective city centers. This blended approach was adopted in a revised CHSRA business plan approved in April 2012, and is expected to reduce construction costs while providing one seat city to city service sooner. The revised plan promises to give priority to closing the gap in passenger rail service between Bakersfield and the Los Angeles area. The plan estimates final cost at Year-Of-Expenditure (YOE) $68 billion for the Phase 1 project, connecting San Francisco with Los Angeles via Central Valley and Palmdale.