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Today, the California High-Speed Rail Authority announced the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) has issued a Record of Decision for the segment of the route between Merced and Fresno. The approval will enable the authority to launch construction next year, according to a press release.

The FRA approved the "hybrid alternative" for the route, which was approved by CHSRA's board in December. The route will minimize the need to acquire property, requires the shortest length of elevated track, is the least expensive to build, includes the fewest potential noise impacts and minimizes the impact on parks and other public space, according to the authority.

The Merced-Fresno section of the statewide high-speed rail corridor is the first of several projects that will make up the backbone of the system that, once complete, will connect the Central Valley to San Francisco and Los Angeles in less than two hours.