California High-Speed Rail Authority adopts 2016 business plan

The California High-Speed Rail Authority's (CHSRA) board yesterday adopted the 2016 business plan, which lays out an approach for sequencing the first phase of the future San Francisco-to-Los Angeles system.

Photo: CHSRA's Flickr account

Unveiled in February 2016, the plan changes the location of the system's initial phase to a segment between Bakersfield and San Jose, Calif., marking a reversal of the board's earlier decision to build the first section between Burbank and California's Central Valley.

The latest plan includes changes that were incorporated following two public comment periods and three legislative hearings, CHSRA officials said in a press release. Those changes include making early investments in the Burbank to Los Angeles/Anaheim corridor, adding a Merced Station stop as part of initial service and improving connections to Amtrak via a connecting station in Madera.

Additionally, the final plan reduces overall capital costs from $67.6 billion to $64.2 billion. The authority will present the plan to the California Legislature by May 2.

Passenger service operations are expected to begin in 2025, said CHSRA Chair Dan Richard, noting that there currently are more than 119 miles of active construction in the Central Valley.