Politics & Government

High-Speed Rail Uses Federal Funds to Extend South

With a $616 million federal grant, High-Speed Rail will expand the Central Valley rail section south to Bakersfield.

At Monday morning's board meeting, California High-Speed Rail Authority officials decided to apply federal funds to additional tracks 66 miles south to Bakersfield, rather than northward. They said the $616 million-plus initial funds from the project could pay for the entire extension in the Central Valley.

On Dec. 2, the High-Speed Rail board opted to spend $4.15 billion of the $4.3 billion federal grant for construction of the Central Valley segment. It cited this portion's ability to meet "operational independence" requirements, meaning it could be self-sustaining should the entire San Francisco to Los Angeles route not reach completion.

The board said the Central Valley selection could connect to the Amtrak stations along the Burlington North Sante Fe route. Extending south to Bakersfield would follow the Burlington route and still enable the High-Speed Rail to act as an independent utility.

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"The southern extension has less uncertainty, and it's more affordable," spokeswoman Rachel Wall said. "We still will be building north, but that's contingent on future funding and progress of the environmental review."

The northern possibility toward north of Merced and just south of the old Castle Airforce Base, now a commercial center, could not guarantee operational independence, according to the High-Speed Rail Authority. Initial analysis considered three routes, of which only the first could meet operational independence requirements.

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1.     Following the the Burlington North Sante Fe (BNSF) alignment.

2.     Following the Union Pacific Railroad  (UPRR) alignment

3.     A hybrid that follows the BNSF immediately north of the initial construction and then follows the UPRR the rest of the way

The southern extension includes three potential routes towards Bakersfield:

1.     Through Corcoran or the Corcoran Bypass

2.     West of Allensworth Park or along BNSF east of Allensworth Park

3.     Through Wasco & Shafter or Wasco & Shafter Bypass

On Dec. 9, the Federal Railroad Administration redirected $1.95 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds that Ohio and Wisconsin returned because of their decision not to pursue high-speed rail projects. Ultimately California received $616 million of these funds for additional construction.

"This is the right place to start and the right way to start," said Tom Umberg, vice chairman of the rail authority's board. "Working from the midpoint of the system gives us flexibility to keep building north and south—and builds the backbone fundamental to a true high-speed rail system."

An environmental review for this specific segment is expected in fall 2011, when all three routes will be analyzed.


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