Big step for high-speed rail

Gov. Gavin Newsom visited Shafter last week for a ceremony marking the groundbreaking of the California High-Speed Rail Authority Railhead Project. The railhead will serve as a freight yard where materials are received and track-laying work is staged, representing the initial step before the tracks are laid. The event also provided an opportunity to celebrate the substantial completion of Construction Package 4 (CP 4), the southernmost stretch of the initial operating line of the high-speed rail.

Construction Package 4 (CP 4) is the 22-mile stretch of the high-speed rail project between Poplar Avenue in Wasco and approximately one mile south of the Kern/Tulare County line. It is the southernmost section of the project currently under construction. This segment includes 11 civil structures, including overpasses, underpasses, and viaducts built to take high-speed trains over roadways, waterways and existing rail lines. All major civil works have been completed, and the segment is largely ready to lay track.

"No state in America is closer to launching high-speed rail than California – and today, we just took a massive step forward. We're moving into the track-laying phase, completing structures for key segments, and laying the groundwork for a high-speed rail network. The future of transportation is being realized right here in the Central Valley, with thousands of good-paying jobs already created and 171 miles being worked on. As only California can, we're building America's biggest infrastructure project," Governor Newsom said.

The event also highlighted efforts to deliver a Southwest regional high-speed rail network. The California High-Speed Rail Authority has partnered with Brightline West and the High-Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency to create an interoperable system that will connect riders to and from Las Vegas to California's high-speed rail system in Southern California designed to serve millions of passengers across the region.

Arthur Sohikian, executive director of the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Authority, stressed the revolutionary impact of the project. He emphasized that the initiative will not only improve transportation but also create thousands of jobs, increase access to affordable housing and offer better connectivity. At the ceremony, he said, "This is more than transportation. This is transformation."

California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri, who also attended the event, commented, "Today, we're recognizing the system's progress and looking ahead as we advance important partnerships and track work that moves us closer to operations while putting Californians to work. We're committed to working collaboratively and ultimately developing a modern, interstate high-speed rail network that will not only boost ridership in the Southwest part of the country but bring to the forefront the possibility of delivering high-speed rail benefits sooner."

Since the start of the high-speed rail project, more than 14,500 jobs have been created, and work in CP 4 has generated more than 3,200 jobs that went to residents of the Central Valley, a majority going to workers in Kern County. These jobs are all good-paying union jobs, in partnership with the California State Building Trades.

Estimated capital costs for Phase 1 of the high-speed rail project from San Francisco to Los Angeles are between $89 billion and $128 billion. The operational segment between Merced and Bakersfield is projected to be completed between 2030 and 2033, with progress into Northern and Southern California as funding becomes available.