California is moving forward with preparations to build the first segment of the California High-Speed Rail, a system planned to connect San Francisco and Los Angeles with fast, frequent train service.
The state finance committee recently approved the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s request to allocate $2.6 billion toward constructing the initial track segment in the Central Valley. That approval clears the way for the Authority to ask the state Treasurer’s office to issue a portion of the bond funds voters approved in 2008.
With this funding, the Authority plans to begin work on about 29 miles of track across the Central Valley, a predominantly agricultural region. Construction on this initial segment is expected to progress through 2019, with a projected completion around August of that year.
Over time, the high-speed line is intended to extend southward to Los Angeles County as part of a broader statewide system. Voters endorsed the project in 2008 as a partnership involving state funds, potential federal support, and private investment. While federal funding has been uncertain, the Authority has stated it intends to continue advancing the project even if federal contributions do not materialize.