California High-Speed Train Behind Schedule in the San Joaquin Valley

$2.5 billion in stimulus money to build a San Joaquin Valley high speed train has been spent, yet the train is still almost a decade from being ready to carry passengers across its entire run.

1 minute read

October 1, 2017, 11:00 AM PDT

By Casey Brazeal @northandclark


FLV California train

California High Speed Rail Authority / Wikimedia Commons

Trouble acquiring land, environmental analysis, and other snags have slowed progress on high-speed rail meant to pass through the San Joaquin Valley. "All of the stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has indeed been spent and construction is happening in earnest in Fresno and Madera counties, much of the Valley route in Kings, Tulare and Kern counties – considered the 'backbone' of a system to eventually link San Francisco and Los Angeles – remains on the drawing board," Tim Sheehan reports for the Fresno Bee.

This slowdown has translated into what officials predict will be a three-year delay. "A starting date for passenger service that was once forecast for 2022 with trains running between Merced and Los Angeles has now been bumped to 2025," Sheehan writes.

Sunday, September 24, 2017 in Fresno Bee

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