California High-Speed Rail Board Approves Business Plan Targeting 2033 Passenger Service

The California High-Speed Rail Board of Directors unanimously approved a business plan this week that envisions passenger service between Merced and Bakersfield by 2033. The plan outlines a path to extend the system beyond the Central Valley, with High-Speed Rail Chief of Staff Mark Tollefson stating that a connection to the Bay Area could strengthen the project's financial outlook.

"Our first opportunity for revenue generating service or revenue positive service would be from Bakersfield into San Francisco using a blended approach as we get to Gilroy connecting in with the Caltrain corridor," Tollefson said. However, board member Lynn Schenk expressed concerns that Southern California is being overlooked.

"My frustration is still why we’re spending additional funds to go through Gilroy rather than to the south where we have the population, where we can have the economic development, where we can have the success that we’re looking for," Schenk said. Previous drafts of the business plan have faced criticism from the project’s inspector general and the state’s nonpartisan budget watchdog over funding gaps and financial risks.

The updated plan estimates that completing the Los Angeles to San Francisco system could cost between $126 billion and $231 billion. Officials also acknowledged that nearly $87 billion would still need to be secured from public and private investment.