California High-Speed Rail

California High-Speed Rail (also known as CAHSR or CHSR) is a publicly funded high-speed rail system currently under construction in California in the United States. Planning for the project began in 1996, when the California Legislature and Governor Pete Wilson established the California High-Speed Rail Authority and tasked it with creating a plan for the system and presenting it to the voters of the state for approval. In 2008, voters approved Proposition 1A, which established a route connecting all the major population centers of the state, authorized bonds to begin implementation, and set other requirements.

The CAHSR system is being implemented in segments. The first of the dedicated HSR segments, the Interim Initial Operating Segment ("Interim IOS"), is being constructed now in the San Joaquin Valley portion of California's Central Valley. It will run from Merced to Bakersfield, and is planned to begin operations in 2029. Concurrently, in the major metropolitan areas of San Francisco Bay Area and Greater Los Angeles, the commuter rail systems are being upgraded for improved safety and service, and to support a "blended system" in the future with CAHSR sharing upgraded tracks, power, train control, and stations. Extending the Interim IOS to connect to the northern and southern metropolitan segments is dependent on future funding, so their timing is uncertain.

Maximum train speeds will be about in the dedicated HSR segments, and about in the blended segments. Once the full Phase 1 system opens, the nonstop trains between San Francisco and Los Angeles – which are about apart by air – must not exceed 2 hours and 40 minutes travel time.

The high-speed rail system is anticipated to provide environmental benefits (reducing pollution and carbon emissions), traffic benefits (improving passenger travel, and reducing vehicular traffic and air travel congestion), and economic benefits (especially in the Central Valley). The implementation of the project has been controversial due to its selected route, management, delays in land acquisition and construction, cost over-runs, and inadequate funding for finishing the entire system.

Current status and plans

Phase 1 runs from San Francisco to Los Angeles and Anaheim, and is being implemented in sections. In the Central Valley there is massive construction underway, and more is in preliminary processing. The Authority is currently constructing miles of guideway and structures. To make the Interim Initial Operating Segment ("Interim IOS") self-sustaining, additional length is in the process being added at each end to reach the cities of Merced (north) and Bakersfield (south) for a total length of about . At each end, the Interim IOS will connect to other transit systems for passenger transfers. The Authority indicates the Interim IOS will go into service before 2030. "Bookend" investments are also being made in the Bay Area and Southern California upgrading existing infrastructure to be able to support eventual HSR service.

After completing the Interim IOS, the Authority plans to advance construction on the Merced-San Jose segment, linking the Central Valley to the tracks of the Caltrain commuter rail system. This will allow HSR trains to run from San Francisco to Bakersfield. Funding for construction of this segment has yet to be secured.

Phase 1 must be operational before Phase 2 is built. Phase 2 will extend the HSR system north to Sacramento and south to San Diego. These extensions are still in the preliminary planning stages.

The California High-Speed Rail Peer Review Group (established by the California Legislature) has noted a number of concerns about the progress of the project, including issues acquiring property in the Central Valley, delays due to lawsuits, an early lack of requisite management experience, and weak legislative oversight. Inflation has also become a major concern due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the War in Ukraine.

The project will require legislative action, so the issues raised by the Peer Review Group and KPMG, the Authority's project consultant, will help the legislature select from the Board's proposed plans or other alternatives.

2022 Business Plan

Th
2022 Business Plan
includes information regarding the project's status, goals, and activities. In order to make an effective, self-supporting Initial Operating Segment, due to financial constraints the Authority is focusing on five areas:

# Creating the infrastructure for a viable Interim IOS. That means adding the additional 52 miles to create an HSR-operable segment between Merced and Bakersfield, and creating the train stations along the route. Advanced design contracts have been awarded for both extensions, and work on route acquisition and construction will be performed as funding becomes available. On Oct. 10, 2022 the contract for the first phase of station creation (expected to take about 30 months) was let.
# Creating an operational HSR system for testing. A Track and Systems contract will need to be let to install tracks, power, and control systems for the initial 119 miles of right-of-way, and HSR trainsets will need to be acquired to test on it. When the track and systems work along the initial 119 miles is completed, there will be a two-year period of testing the HSR trainsets, trackage, and control systems while construction proceeds on the Merced and Bakersfield extensions. The Authority plans to restructure and re-issue the Track and Systems procurement in 2023. The Authority has applied for federal funds to purchase six trainsets capable of speeds in excess of 200 mph.
# Completing environmental review approvals and advanced design and engineering for the entire Phase 1 system by the end of 2024. All segments in Phase 1 will thus be ready to be constructed when funding becomes available. The routes from San Francisco to Palmdale and from Burbank to Los Angeles have been approved. Palmdale to Burbank is expected to be approved in 2023, and Los Angeles to Anaheim in 2024.
# Continuing to advance "bookend" investments. In Northern California, these include electrification of Caltrain and grade separations between San Francisco and San Jose. The Authority will also be working with Union Pacific Railroad to extend electrification to Gilroy, since the selected route between San Jose and Gilroy uses the UPRR alignment. In Southern California, these include phase A of Link Union Station, which through-tracks LA Union Station, and other improvements such as early grade separations in the Burbank-to-Los Angeles shared corridor and the Rosecrans-Marquardt grade separation. These investments provide immediate benefits in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas, while also readying those transit systems for eventual shared use by HSR trainsets.
#Opening the Interim IOS to public use before 2030. The contracted Early Train Operator (ETO) selected to run the system is DB E.C.O. North America Inc. The plan is to have the Interim IOS run double-tracked from Merced to Bakersfield, have five stations (Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings/Tulare, and Bakersfield), provide many more trips per day than current service, and operate the trains up to . The Merced station will provide a transfer point to the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) and San Joaquins (Amtrak) rail routes to Sacramento and the Bay Area (San Francisco and Oakland) as well as local buses. The Bakersfield station will have a transfer to Thruway Bus Service for travel to Southern California.

Also, a major addition to the development and operation plan is a new emphasis on risk analysis and risk mitigation (with these now integrated into the formal authorization process), and contingency reserves are being increased. Revenue and expense projections indicate that constructing an operable segment is feasible.

A preview of the 2023 Project Update Report indicates it will include:
* A new funding strategy.
* An updated program baseline budget and schedule.
* Design of the IOS extensions and the Merced and Bakersfield stations.
* Completing the remaining Phase 1 environmental clearances.
* New ridership and revenue forecasts presented by the Early Train Operator (DB E.C.O. North America Inc.).
* Updated capital costs to complete Phase 1.

Financial status and plans

As of September 2022, the Authority's plans indicated $23.4 billion in identified funding through 2030, with a budget of $17.9 billion for Central Valley construction (about ), design work for the Merced and Bakersfield extensions, the "bookend" projects now underway in the northern and southern metropolitan areas, completing the environmental clearances needed for all of Phase 1, and $4.6 to $6.0 billion for double-trackage and trainsets for the Interim IOS.

As of November 2022, there is an additional $8 billion in funding sought via grants from the federal government. These will allow the Authority to leverage its resources, and use those additional federal funds for:
*Double-tracking the initial 119 miles (the first priority),
*Construction and land acquisition to advance the extension south to Bakersfield,
*Purchase of the trainsets needed for the Initial Operating Segment operations,
*Design of the Merced and Bakersfield extensions, and
*Construction of the initial five HSR stations.

Per the 2022 Business Plan, the expected new funding will be budgeted to:
#"Deliver an electrified two-track initial operating segment connecting Merced, Fresno and Bakersfield as soon as possible.
#Invest statewide to advance engineering and design work as every project section is environmentally cleared.
#Leverage new federal and state funds for targeted statewide investments.
#Develop a funding strategy to extend high-speed rail beyond the Central Valley and to the Bay Area as soon as possible."

The funding and budget strategy is now to leverage existing state funds and use matching federal funds to achieve the optimal result in project investments. Table 3.3 in the 2022 Business Plan (on p. 55) shows how the Authority is matching the proposed funding with the different project results. For example, "System-Wide Advancement/Start Bay Area Connection" (see figure above) includes advanced design as well as right-of-way acquisition in the San Jose to Merced segment.

There is no cost estimate as yet to complete the HSR route north to San Francisco, however, cost estimates to complete the entire Phase 1 system range from a low-estimate of $76.7 billion, to a mid-estimate of $92-94 billion, to a high-estimate of $113 billion. (A major unknown is the cost of tunneling, which will not be known until exploratory field studies are done.) It is expected that new figures will be provided in the 2023 Project Update Report in March 2023.

Construction status and plans

The groundbreaking ceremony for CAHSR was held on January 6, 2015 in Fresno, California.

In the Central Valley major construction projects are underway. Three separate construction packages total 119 miles of guideway and 93 structures. As of October 2022, 49 miles of guideway are complete, and 39 are underway; 35 structures are complete, and 34 are underway. Exhibit 2.6 from the 2022 Business Plan gives an overall comparison between the packages as of Mar. 31, 2022.
*CP4 comprises adjoining the end of CP2-3 to the intersection of Poplar / Madera Avenue northwest of Shafter. It includes at-grade embankments, retained-fill over-crossings, viaducts, aerial sections of the high-speed rail alignment, and the relocation of four miles of existing Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) tracks. The contractor is California Rail Builders, a joint venture of Ferrovial-Agroman West, LLC and Griffith Company. The design-build contract was signed February 29, 2016. This construction package is forecast to be completed first, by Mar. 21, 2023.
*CP1 comprises from Avenue 17 north of Madera to East American Avenue south of Fresno. It includes 12 grade separations, two viaducts, one tunnel, a major river crossing over the San Joaquin River, and the realignment of State Route 99. The contractor is the joint venture of Tutor-Perini/Zachry/Parsons. The design-build contract was signed August 16, 2013. This construction package is forecast to be completed next, 33 months later (Dec. 31, 2025).
*CP2-3 comprises from East American Avenue south of Fresno to north of the Tulare / Kern County border. It includes approximately 36 grade separations, viaducts, underpasses, and overpasses. The contractor is the joint venture of Dragados USA/Flatiron Construction. The design-build contract was signed June 10, 2015. This construction package is forecast to be completed last, 3 months later (Mar. 21, 2026).
*Extensions of the line from the above central section to Bakersfield and Merced, totaling , are also progressing through advanced design work, right-of-way mapping, and identification of utility relocation work. Construction contracts have not yet been let.
*The Heavy Maintenance Facility (HMF) is proceeding through the planning and approval process.

"Bookend" investments are also underway to the north and south:
*The Caltrain electrification "bookend" investment in the Bay Area (as well as grade separations, etc.) is proceeding, and is expected to be completed in late 2024.
*A "bookend" investment in the "Link US" project (Phase A) will shortly begin construction for Los Angeles Union Station. Phase B still needs to be funded. (There are also other "bookend" investments which are in progress.)

Route and stations

The project aims to connect California's major metropolitan areas together, and link to their local commuter systems. It will be built in two major phases. Phase 1 connects San Francisco and the Bay Area through the San Joaquin Valley (the southern part of the Central Valley) to Anaheim in the Greater Los Angeles area, a distance of about . Phase 2 extends the north end of the Central Valley section up to Sacramento, and extends the Los Angeles section in the south through the Inland Empire down to San Diego at the bottom of the state, for a total system length of about .

The number of stations on the completed system was limited by Proposition 1A to 24. Not all station locations have been decided. At the start of operations of the Interim Initial Operating Segment (Interim IOS) there will be 5 stations.

Route finalized from Central Valley to San Francisco

Although the Authority is focused on getting the Interim IOS in the Central Valley in operation by the end of the decade, it is also looking ahead to the next step (that is, connecting to San Francisco using the prepared Caltrain blended route). On April 28, 2022 it approved the final route in the San Jose to Merced section. This alignment (Alternative 4) uses the existing UPRR alignment from San Jose to Gilroy.

East of Gilroy the alignment becomes a pure HSR section with approximately of tunnels through the Pacheco Pass. Trains will be able to travel at even through the tunnels. When tunnel field studies, early engineering, and design work are completed for this section, it will be ready for construction when funding is available. Tunnel construction is anticipated to take up to 6 years to complete once begun.

Route travel-time/speed requirements

Proposition 1A also set the maximum nonstop travel times between certain destinations on the system:

# San Francisco–San Jose: 30 minutes; this would require about
# San Jose–Los Angeles: 2 hours, 10 minutes; this would require about
# San Francisco–Los Angeles Union Station: 2 hours, 40 minutes
# San Diego–Los Angeles: 1 hour, 20 minutes
# Inland Empire–Los Angeles: 30 minutes
# Sacramento–Los Angeles: 2 hours, 20 minutes

In addition, the achievable operating headway between successive trains must be less than 5 minutes.

Trains (rolling stock)

Acquisition

In January 2015, the Authority issued a request for proposal (RFP) for complete trainsets. The proposals received will be reviewed so that acceptable bidders can be selected, and then requests for bids will be sent out.

In February 2015, ten companies formally expressed interest in producing trainsets for the system: Alstom, AnsaldoBreda (now Hitachi Rail Italy), Bombardier Transportation, CSR, Hyundai Rotem, Kawasaki Rail Car, Siemens, Sun Group U.S.A. partnered with CNR Tangshan, and Talgo.

Due to company acquisitions and mergers since then (CSR merged with CNR, and Bombardier Transportation merged with Alstom), the number of companies now qualified for the tender is seven. The qualified companies are Alstom, Siemens Mobility, Talgo, Hitachi Rail Italy, CRRC, Hyundai Rotem, and Kawasaki Rail Car.

An additional factor for the selection of a model is the Buy America regulation for production of rolling stock in the US. The Federal Railroad Administration granted a waiver for two prototypes to be manufactured off-shore. The remaining trainsets would need to be built according to the rules. This requirement was mentioned as a significant reason that Chinese manufacturers dropped out of the Brightline West (then known as XpressWest) project with similar technical trainset specifications.

Included in a May 2022 grant request to the Biden administration is a request for funds to purchase six HSR trainsets. It is estimated that for the entire Phase 1 system up to 95 trainsets might be required.

Station-sharing issue

The CAHSR trains will use a different standard than Caltrain for their floor height above the rails. The CAHSR trains have a floor height of above the rails, which is significantly higher than the floors of Caltrain's commuter trainsets. To resolve this issue, Caltrain is procuring new Stadler KISS EMUs that have doors at both heights. Each station provides either one platform height or the other. Only a few of the stations will service both trainsets. Thus, in the Bay Area most of the stations will be used exclusively by Caltrain.

HSR passenger line operations

Request for Qualifications

In April 2017, the CHSRA announced it had received five responses to its request for qualifications for the contract to assist with the development and management of the initial phase of the high-speed line and be the Interim IOS operator.
* China HSR ETO Consortium: China Railway International, Beijing Railway Administration, China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group, China Railway Corporation
* DB International US
DB International USA
Deutsche Bahn, Alternate Concepts, HDR
* FS First Rail Group: Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, FirstGroup, Rete Ferroviaria Italiana, Centostazioni, Italferr, McKinsey & Company
* Renfe: Renfe Operadora, Globalvia Inversiones, Administrador de Infraestructuras Ferroviarias
* Stagecoach Group: Stagecoach Group, Coach USA

Selected Early Train Operator

In October 2017, the California High-Speed Rail Authority announced that DB E.C.O. North America Inc (formerly known as DB Engineering & Consulting USA Inc.) had been chosen as the Early Train Operator. This decision came after a Request for Qualifications was put out by the Authority looking for well established groups able to provide operational guidance for the future system once opened.

Services provided by DB International US are:
* Project Management
* Ridership and passenger revenue forecasts
* Preferred revenue collection systems
* Rolling stock fleet size and interior layout
* Service planning and scheduling
* Operations and maintenance cost forecasting
* Station design & operations
* Optimization of life cycle costs
* Procurements
* Fare integration and Interoperability
* Safety and security
* Operations control/dispatching responsibilities
* Maximizing system revenues
* Marketing and branding

History

This project already has a long history. Topics included in the main History page (the link shown above) include the early history (before 2015), discussion of HSR alternatives, legislation, financing, construction, and legal challenges.

Legislative

In 1996, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) was established to begin formal planning in preparation for a ballot measure in 1998 or 2000.

In 2008, California voters approved Proposition 1A to construct the initial segment of the high-speed rail network, and issued $9 billion in bonds to begin its construction. It also set certain requirements for the project:
* Established the basic route linking the major population centers
* Minimum where conditions permit
* Maximum of 24 stations on the system
* Maximum travel times between certain points
* Financially self-sustaining (operation and maintenance costs fully covered by revenue)
The proposition also authorized an additional $950 million for improvements on local commuter systems, which will serve as feeder systems to the high-speed rail system.

In June 2014, state legislators and Governor Jerry Brown agreed to apportion the state's annual cap and trade funds so that 25% goes to high-speed rail as an ongoing source of funds.

Legal

In 2014, the CHSRA was challenged on its compliance with its statutory obligations under Proposition 1A
(''John Tos, Aaron Fukuda, and the Kings County Board of Supervisors v. California High-Speed Rail Authority''). In November 2021 a circuit court ruled against the plaintiffs, and effectively ended this litigation.

On December 15, 2014, the federal Surface Transportation Board determined that its approval of the HSR project in August "categorically preexempts" lawsuits filed under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). This determination was tested in a similar case, ''Friends of Eel River v. North Coast Railroad Authority''. The Supreme Court of California determined on July 27, 2017 that CEQA is not exempted by federal law.

In February 2022, Hollywood Burbank Airport sued the Authority over its approval of the draft EIR for that section of the high-speed railway.

Economic and environmental impacts

In addition to the direct reduction in travel times the HSR project will produce, there are other anticipated benefits, both general to the state, to the regions the train will pass through, and to the areas immediately around the train stations.

The Central Valley Training Center

The Central Valley Training Center
(located in Selma, California) is an organization supported by the Authority and local non-profit and governmental organizations. Since 2020 it has provided hands-on, free, 12-week pre-apprenticeship programs in 11 trades to prepare Central Valley veterans, at-risk young adults, minority, and low-income populations for construction jobs on the CAHSR project. As of December 2022 it has graduated 7 cohorts, totaling over 100 students, and further assisted them by providing job placement as well as other support services.

Sustainability Report

CAHSR is designed to be an entirely environmentally sustainable system. Each year the Authority produces
Sustainability Report
The highlights of the 2022 report are:
*"Restoring more than 2,972 acres of habitat and protecting more than 3,190 acres of agricultural land;
*Planting more than 7,100 trees;
*Avoiding or sequestering 420,245 metric tons of carbon dioxide – the equivalent of removing one natural gas-fired power plant from the grid for a year;
*Increasing small business participation to over 700 entities;
*Generating between $12.7 and 13.7 billion in total economic activity in the state, with 56% investment in disadvantaged communities."

Interim Initial Operating Segment projections

The 2022 Business Plan listed these estimated benefits which will come from the Interim Initial Operating Segment (Merced to Bakersfield only):
* Travel time will be significantly shorted, and travel will be more reliable. Car travel time is 2.5 hrs. one-way. The Amtrak ''San Joaquin'' takes 3 hrs. at best, but there are only 7 round-trips each day, and intervening freight service makes service unreliable. CAHSR is estimated to reduce travel time by up to 100 minutes, and 18 reliable round-trips are anticipated each day.
* With better transit inside the Central Valley, transit to the Bay Area and Sacramento as well as Southern California will improve significantly.
* Rail passenger trips over the same route are projected to nearly double, from 4.8 million annual riders to 8.8 million riders.
* Annual vehicle miles traveled will be reduced by 284 million, reducing road congestion.
* Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will be reduced by 50.6 thousand metric tons, equivalent to emissions from 10,874 passenger vehicles driven for one year.
* An additional $117.2 million in passenger revenues.
* More than 200,000 job-years due to the line's operation and community effects.

Cumulative economic impact estimates

The 2021 Economic Impact Factsheet estimated that as of June 2021, the statewide economic benefits of the project included 64,400–70,500 job-years of employment, $4.8–$5.2 billion in labor employment, and $12.7–13.7 billion in economic output, and that as of February 2022, 699 small businesses were involved in the project.

The Authority's economic impact analysis is updated annually. The 2021 Economic Analysis Report contains data as of June 2021.

Carbon emissions calulator

According to a 2022 Carbon Footprint Calculator on the Authority website, the environmental benefits of the system include CO2e/GHG emissions savings per passenger round-trip of:
*142 pounds on the Merced-Bakersfield line (Interim IOS)
*349 pounds for San Francisco-Los Angeles
*303 pounds for San Jose-Burbank
*389 pounds for San Francisco-Anaheim
*337 pounds for San Francisco-Burbank
The Authority estimates that by 2040, the system could carry 50 million riders per year, and that at full operation, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will be equivalent to removing 400,000 vehicles off the road.

Regional benefits

In its 67-page ruling in May 2015, the federal Surface Transportation Board noted: "The current transportation system in the San Joaquin Valley region has not kept pace with the increase in population, economic activity, and tourism. ... The interstate highway system, commercial airports, and conventional passenger rail systems serving the intercity market are operating at or near capacity and would require large public investments for maintenance and expansion to meet existing demand and future growth over the next 25 years or beyond." Thus, the Board sees the HSR system as providing valuable benefits to the region's transportation needs.

The San Joaquin Valley is also one of the poorest areas of the state. For example, the unemployment rate near the end of 2014 in Fresno County was 2.2% higher than the statewide average. And, of the five poorest metro areas in the country, three are in the Central Valley. The HSR system has the potential to significantly improve this region and its economy. A large January 2015 report to the CHSRA examined this issue.

In addition to jobs and income levels in general, the presence of HSR is expected to benefit the growth in the cities around the HSR stations. It is anticipated that this will help increase population density in those cities and reduce "development sprawl" out into surrounding farmlands.

Negatively-affected local communities

There have also been some reported negative impacts from the project's land acquisitions and constructions. Thus far, in the Phase 1 construction the project displaced or adversely affected immigrants (Mexican, Cambodian, and Japanese), homeless outreach organizations, homeless shelters, firefighters, nonprofits working with welfare recipients, thrift stores, and disadvantaged communities such as Wasco.

Peer review, public opinion, and criticism

There are two types of review and criticism noted here: the legally established "peer review" process that the California legislature established for an independent check on the Authority's planning and implementation efforts, and public criticisms by groups, media, individuals, public agencies, and elected officials.

At the February 2015 conference ''Bold Bets: California on the Move?'', hosted by ''The Atlantic'' magazine and Siemens, Dan Richard, the then-chair of the Authority, warned that not all issues facing the HSR system had been resolved.

Peer Review Group

The California Legislature established the California High-Speed Rail Peer Review Group to provide independent analysis of the Authority's planning and implementation efforts. Their documents are submitted to the Legislature as needed.

The April 1, 2022 report noted a number of positive factors:

* Improved prospects for federal funding with the Biden Administration.
* Disruptions and impacts caused by COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, and inflation are all noted but being dealt with.
* Significant progress has been made on the necessary environmental clearances.
* Greater attention is being given to local transit connectivity and local economic impacts.
* Major improvements have been made to project management and risk mitigation.

However, there were also a number of significant concerns noted:
* The total level of uncertainty has likely increased due to effects of COVID-19 and inflation.
* Prior experience with cost increases and scheduling delays raises some uncertainties about future performance. Cost increases have been over 86%, average delays have been 118%, only 90% of ordinary real estate parcel needed have been acquired, only 63% of railroad parcels have been acquired, and only 65% of utility parcels have been acquired.
* Some of the cost estimates presented were out of date, but expected to be updated in the 2023 Project Update Report.
* Major components of the project (representing over half its cost) have no bidding or contract management experience. Thus, estimates for these are clearly suspect.
* There are critical issues regarding management and legal issues with other agencies for the operation of the system which remain unresolved. (There are a number of these listed, as well as unknown long term impacts of COVID-19 on ridership and inflation.)
* Adequate legislative oversight is lacking.
* Per the report, " erall project funding remains inadequate and unstable making effective management extremely difficult. In addition, the Authority has no clear guidance from the Legislature on the next steps in the project."
* "Even with a realistic share of new Federal funding, the project cannot get outside the Central Valley without added state or local funding from sources not yet identified."

Professional studies of blended systems

Study #1. Eric Eidlin, an employee of the Federal Transit Administration (Region 9, San Francisco), wrote a study in 2015 funded by the German Marshall Fund of the United States comparing the structural differences of two HSR European systems and their historical development with California's HSR system. He also focused on the issue of station siting, design, use, and impact on the surrounding community. From this, he developed ten recommendations for CAHSRA. Among these are:
* Develop bold, long-term visions for the HSR corridors and stations.
* Where possible, site HSR stations in central city locations.
* In rural areas, emphasize train speed; in urban areas, emphasize transit connectivity.
* Plan for and encourage the non-transit roles of the HSR stations.
Eidlin's study also notes that in California there has been debate on the disadvantages of the proposed blended service in the urban areas of San Francisco and Los Angeles, including reduced speeds, more operating restraints, and complicated track-sharing agreements. There are some inherent advantages in blended systems that have not received much attention: shorter transfer distances for passengers, and reduced impacts on the neighborhoods. Blended systems are in use in Europe.

Study #2. A 202-page study by A. Loukaitou-Sideris, D. Peters, and W. Wei of the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University in 2015 compared examples of "blended systems" in Spain and Germany where conventional and high-speed rail (HSR) services either used the same tracks over a portion of track or at a specific station. The study found that blended systems were cheaper to build, required less space, and provided easy transfers between different modes of transportation, but resulted in lower system capacity (due to greater separation distances required when combining HSR and conventional traffic), were often not possible to properly implement in urban areas due to the additional land area requirements for passing sidings, resulted in additional challenges in operations, and caused frequent delays.

Public opposition

In 2008 the Reason Foundation, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, and Citizens Against Government Waste (all right-wing organizations), published a study which they named the "Due Diligence Report" critiquing the project. In 2013, the Reason Foundation published an "Updated Due Diligence Report". Key elements of the updated critique include:
* operating train speed higher than any existing HSR system at the time
* unrealistic ridership projections
* increasing costs
* no clear funding plan
* incorrect assumptions regarding HSR alternatives
* increasing fare projections
This 2013 critique was based on the 2012 Business Plan. Although the 2012 Business Plan has been superseded by the 2022 Business Plan, the critique does include the Blended System approach using commuter tracks in SF and LA.

James Fallows in ''The Atlantic'' magazine summarized public criticism thus, "It will cost too much, take too long, use up too much land, go to the wrong places, and in the end won't be fast or convenient enough to do that much good anyway."

Public opinion

Public approval for CAHSR has remained steady over the years:

In April 2022 UC Berkeley's Institute of Government Studies released a survey of registered voters that found 56% supported continuing the high-speed rail project even if "its operations only extend from Bakersfield to Merced in the Central Valley by the year 2030 and to the Bay Area by the year 2033." Approval varies by political affiliation with 73% of Democrats backing the project versus 25% of Republicans.

An older statewide survey, in March 2016, by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) indicated that 52% of Californians support the project, while 63% of Californians think the project is either "very important" or "somewhat important" for California's economy and quality of life. Support varies by location (with the San Francisco Bay Area the highest at 63%, and lowest in Orange/San Diego at 47%), by race (Asians 66%, Latinos 58%, Whites 44%, and Blacks 42%), by age (declining sharply with increasing age), and by political orientation (Democrats 59%, independents 47%, and Republicans 29%). Dan Richard, then-chair of the Authority, said in an interview with James Fallows that he believes approval levels will increase when people can start seeing progress, and trains start running.

In 2008, voters approved Proposition 1A with 52.6%.
.

Las Vegas HSR project

Brightline West (formerly Desert Xpress and XpressWest) is a project that since 2007 has been planning to build a high-speed rail line between Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada, part of the "Southwest Rail Network" they hope to create. The rail line would begin in Las Vegas and cross the Mojave Desert stopping outside of Victorville, California and eventually terminating in Palmdale, California (where it would connect with CAHSR and Metrolink). This route would total about . A second branch into Rancho Cucamonga (in the Inland Empire) is also planned.

In 2012, Lisa Marie Alley, speaking for CAHSRA, said that there have been ongoing discussions concerning allowing the trains to use CAHSRA lines to go further into the Los Angeles area, although no commitments have been made as yet. While many approvals have been obtained for the rail line from Victorville to Las Vegas, the section from Palmdale to Victorville has none as yet.

In October 2021, Brightline signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CAHRSA). "The MOU sets the framework regarding the use of 48 miles within Interstate 15 to be used for Brightline West to connect its planned Victor Valley station and a newly planned station in Rancho Cucamonga." (The Rancho Cucamonga station links to both Metrolink and the Ontario Airport.) This planned HSR extension will bring Brightline West down towards Ontario in the Inland Empire, providing a second branch of their line into Southern California. Brightline has agreed to purchase a 5 acre parcel for their HSR service adjacent to the planned multimodal upgrade to the existing station.

As of November 2022, a start date for construction of Brightline West had yet to be announced.

Further study

The Authority's documents

The Authority'
Business Plan
is updated every even year (since 2008). It must be submitted to the Legislature by May 1. It describes the project's goals, financing, and development plans.

The Authority'
Update Report
is produced every odd year (since 2015). It must be submitted to the Legislature by March 1. The report gives a program-wide summary, as well as information for each project section, in order to clearly describe the project's status.

The Authority'
Newsroom
provides frequent news releases concerning all aspects of the project.

The Authority'
Info Center
provides factsheets, regional newsletters, maps, and video simulations of route "fly-overs".

Independent reviews

Th
California Peer Review Group
produces independent analysis of the project for the state legislature. Its documents are available on its website.

The state legislature also has provided that independent financial review be conducted of the Authority's plans. Project Finance Advisory Limited (“PFAL”) was selected to do this beginning in November 2015. The September 2022 review is available a
Independent Financial Advisor Report To California High-Speed Rail Authority Regarding: Proposition 1A Funding Plan

Other documents

In 2014-2015, James Fallows wrote
series of 17 articles
for ''The Atlantic'' about the HSR system. The series covered many aspects of the system, criticisms of it, and responses to those criticisms.

References

External links

California High-Speed Rail Authority

California High Speed Rail Peer Review Group

California State Rail Plan (2022)

DB E.C.O. North America Inc.

{{Deutsche Bahn

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Electric railways in California
High-speed railway lines in the United States
Passenger rail transportation in California
Proposed railway lines in California
25 kV AC railway electrification
2029 in rail transport
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High-speed railway lines under construction
Transportation buildings and structures in Madera County, California
Buildings and structures under construction in the United States
High-speed trains of the United States
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