The Latest Update on California's Chief Bullet Train Project...

California High-Speed Rail Authority

California High-Speed Rail Authority Approves Contractor, Moves Design of Track and Overhead Electrical Systems Forward (Press Release - June 26)

BURBANK, Calif. – In yet another significant step toward getting electrified high-speed trains operating in the U.S., the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s (Authority) Board of Directors today approved a contractor to begin designing track and overhead contact systems (OCS) for the initial 171-mile passenger service connecting Merced to Bakersfield.

After an extensive competitive procurement process, joint venture SYSTRA | TYPSA was awarded the contract with today’s board action. SYSTRA | TYPSA has worked together for more than two decades and partnered with California rail and transit agencies for more than 35 years.

With an initial contract value of up to $131.2 million, this contract will allow the Authority to:

- Produce high-level designs for track and OCS for the 171 miles connecting Merced to Bakersfield, including detailed designs for the 119-mile section currently under active construction within that Central Valley stretch.
- Design the track system, including the track structure, OCS, along-track cable containment, across-track ducts, access walkways, fencing and drainage.
- Manage technical and non-technical interfaces with contractors/consultants.

This action comes on the heels of the Authority releasing a shortlist of potential suppliers for electrified high-speed trains in California.

In October 2022, the Authority opted to let a previous Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for procurement of a track and systems contractor expire due to the economic climate, supply-chain challenges and 40-year high inflation.

The Authority has since developed a new procurement strategy, considering extensive industry feedback and adjusting to program needs. The track and OCS design services contract is an important step in the new procurement strategy.

This contractor will collaborate with a future construction manager/general contractor hired to construct the track and OCS based on its designs.

Since the start of construction, the Authority has created more than 13,500 construction jobs, a majority going to residents from the Central Valley.

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

Source: California High-Speed Rail Authority

A Random Update on California's Chief Bullet Train Project (Not Brightline West)...

California High-Speed Rail Authority

California High-Speed Rail Clears Path for Major Environmental Clearance, Connecting San Francisco to Downtown Los Angeles (Press Release - May 24)

LOS ANGELES – The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) today released the final environmental document for the more than 30-mile segment between Palmdale and Burbank in Southern California. This is the last key environmental document needed to connect San Francisco to downtown Los Angeles.

The document is on track to be presented to the Authority’s Board of Directors for consideration during a two-day board meeting on June 26 and 27.

“This is a huge milestone for the project and it represents the culmination of years of analysis and stakeholder engagement to connect high-speed rail between two of the state’s major metropolitan centers, San Francisco and Los Angeles,” said Authority CEO Brian Kelly. “With board approval, the project will have environmental clearance for 463 miles of the Phase 1 system between downtown San Francisco and downtown Los Angeles.”

At speeds of up to 220 mph, this section will connect the Antelope Valley to the San Fernando Valley in a roughly 17-minute train trip – more than twice as fast as traveling by car. The Palmdale to Burbank Project Section will connect two key population centers in Los Angeles County by linking future multimodal transportation hubs in Palmdale and Burbank.

The section features about 30 miles of tunneling, including 28 miles through mountains.

The Final EIR/EIS includes analysis of all six build alternatives and the No Project Alternative. The preferred alternative is the SR14A Alternative, which runs along State Route 14 and is approximately 38 miles.

It will be a grade-separated, high-speed rail-only system. Trains operating on the Preferred Alternative would be underground through the community of Acton and much of the Angeles National Forest and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.

Tunneling through these regions minimizes impacts to communities and environmental resources in the region.

The Authority serves as the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Draft EIR/EIS was circulated for public review and comment from early September through early December 2022.

The Authority has considered all substantive comments received during the public comment period and responses to the comments are documented in the Final EIR/EIS. The document includes:

- An analysis of alternatives, including impacts and effects.
- Mitigation measures proposed to reduce environmental impacts and effects.
- Public comments received on the Draft EIR/EIS and responses to those comments.
- Revisions to the Draft EIR/EIS made in response to comments.

Pending Board approval, the Authority can begin preparing this segment for construction as funding becomes available. All that remains to environmentally clear the full 494-mile Phase 1 system of the project is the Los Angeles to Anaheim segment, which the Authority expects to finalize next year.

The Final EIR/EIS can be found on the Authority’s website at hsr.ca.gov.

Source: California High-Speed Rail Authority

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California High-Speed Rail Authority