The authority notes the report puts a focus on constructing a commercially viable high-speed rail system as soon as possible with available financial resources, while making the most meaningful progress to completing full service between downtown San Francisco and downtown Los Angeles/Anaheim area to date.
The report lays out three high-speed rail business case scenarios. According to the CHSRA, these scenarios include updated cost estimates, ridership and revenue projections and funding requirements:
* Merced – Bakersfield: Complete the current statutorily required segment under design and active construction. The 171-mile high-speed rail line would enhance service in the Central Valley.
* San Francisco – Gilroy – Bakersfield: Build high-speed rail infrastructure extending from the Central Valley to Gilroy and collaborate with partners to enhance the Gilroy to San Jose rail corridor to allow for continuous service from San Francisco to Bakersfield.
* San Francisco – Gilroy – Palmdale: Build an expanded high-speed rail infrastructure from Gilroy to Palmdale that supports continuing service to San Francisco and connects with Metrolink in Palmdale, utilizing the High-Desert Corridor to connect to [Brightline West service to Las Vegas](https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/infrastructure/article/55020160/brightline-west-breaks-ground-on-high-speed-rail-system-connecting-southern-california-and-las-vegas) and Rancho Cucamonga in Victor Valley.
According to the CHSRA, the report outlines several opportunities for the state of California to support the project, including stable, long-term funding, environmental streamlining, actions to address permitting and third-party coordination and updates to state law to provide needed construction flexibility, among others.
The report also highlights the opportunity long-term stable state funding provides in attracting private sector interest and enabling accelerated project delivery, avoiding stop-and-go delays, potentially saving time and public funding. Despite funding uncertainty, CHSRA says work still continues daily on the high-speed rail project, with 171 miles currently under design and construction from Merced to Bakersfield, Calif. Nearly 70 miles of guideway are complete, along with 55 fully completed structures; an additional 29 more structures are underway across Madera, Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties.
* Le Grand Overcrossing Project on the Merced Extension ($89.6 million)
* Southern San Jose Grade Separations (Monterey Road) ($7.5 million)
* DTX Final Design for Track and Rail Systems Project ($24.7 million)
* Madera High-Speed Rail Station Project ($54.5 million)
!ping Transit
Alexz565 on
Notably, the authority discusses altering design speed and maximum grade in the Pacheco and Tehachapi passes in order to save money, while probably not affecting travel time all that much.
> Previously, the DCM design speed was set to 250
mph, despite the actual maximum operating
speed of 220 mph. By resetting the design
speed to 220 mph, the Authority can refine track
geometry, allowing for tighter curves and more
flexible routing
…
> In the Pacheco Pass corridor, increasing the
maximum allowable gradient could enable a
reduction in tunnel length from 15.1 miles to 7.1
miles. In the Tehachapis, raising the maximum
allowable gradient could eliminate four tunnels
and shorten five others, reducing the total length
of tunneling from 10.8 miles to 5.8 miles. These
modifications offer considerable construction cost
savings while preserving operational efficiency.
They also discuss deferring the Merced branch to the full phase 1 build-out, and instead focusing on connecting the Bay Area once Madera-Bakersfield is complete.
2 Comments
The authority notes the report puts a focus on constructing a commercially viable high-speed rail system as soon as possible with available financial resources, while making the most meaningful progress to completing full service between downtown San Francisco and downtown Los Angeles/Anaheim area to date.
The report lays out three high-speed rail business case scenarios. According to the CHSRA, these scenarios include updated cost estimates, ridership and revenue projections and funding requirements:
* Merced – Bakersfield: Complete the current statutorily required segment under design and active construction. The 171-mile high-speed rail line would enhance service in the Central Valley.
* San Francisco – Gilroy – Bakersfield: Build high-speed rail infrastructure extending from the Central Valley to Gilroy and collaborate with partners to enhance the Gilroy to San Jose rail corridor to allow for continuous service from San Francisco to Bakersfield.
* San Francisco – Gilroy – Palmdale: Build an expanded high-speed rail infrastructure from Gilroy to Palmdale that supports continuing service to San Francisco and connects with Metrolink in Palmdale, utilizing the High-Desert Corridor to connect to [Brightline West service to Las Vegas](https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/infrastructure/article/55020160/brightline-west-breaks-ground-on-high-speed-rail-system-connecting-southern-california-and-las-vegas) and Rancho Cucamonga in Victor Valley.
According to the CHSRA, the report outlines several opportunities for the state of California to support the project, including stable, long-term funding, environmental streamlining, actions to address permitting and third-party coordination and updates to state law to provide needed construction flexibility, among others.
The report also highlights the opportunity long-term stable state funding provides in attracting private sector interest and enabling accelerated project delivery, avoiding stop-and-go delays, potentially saving time and public funding. Despite funding uncertainty, CHSRA says work still continues daily on the high-speed rail project, with 171 miles currently under design and construction from Merced to Bakersfield, Calif. Nearly 70 miles of guideway are complete, along with 55 fully completed structures; an additional 29 more structures are underway across Madera, Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties.
The plan comes as the[ Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) rescinded $4 billion of unspent federal funds from the CHSRA ](https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/infrastructure/press-release/55304142/federal-railroad-administration-fra-fra-rescinds-4-billion-in-unspent-federal-funding-to-chsra)in July following FRA’s compliance review on the high-speed rail project. On Aug. 26, FRA withdrew funding for four projects related to high-speed rail:
* Le Grand Overcrossing Project on the Merced Extension ($89.6 million)
* Southern San Jose Grade Separations (Monterey Road) ($7.5 million)
* DTX Final Design for Track and Rail Systems Project ($24.7 million)
* Madera High-Speed Rail Station Project ($54.5 million)
!ping Transit
Notably, the authority discusses altering design speed and maximum grade in the Pacheco and Tehachapi passes in order to save money, while probably not affecting travel time all that much.
> Previously, the DCM design speed was set to 250
mph, despite the actual maximum operating
speed of 220 mph. By resetting the design
speed to 220 mph, the Authority can refine track
geometry, allowing for tighter curves and more
flexible routing
…
> In the Pacheco Pass corridor, increasing the
maximum allowable gradient could enable a
reduction in tunnel length from 15.1 miles to 7.1
miles. In the Tehachapis, raising the maximum
allowable gradient could eliminate four tunnels
and shorten five others, reducing the total length
of tunneling from 10.8 miles to 5.8 miles. These
modifications offer considerable construction cost
savings while preserving operational efficiency.
They also discuss deferring the Merced branch to the full phase 1 build-out, and instead focusing on connecting the Bay Area once Madera-Bakersfield is complete.