The California High-Speed Rail Authority has taken the first official step to find a train operator for the initial operating segment of the 800-mile project: connecting the Central Valley to the Silicon Valley, with estimated completion by 2024.
As posted Dec. 15, the California High-Speed Rail Authority approved the first outlay from the $9.95 billion of 2008 general obligation bond funds to pay for rail construction in the Central Valley and help fund Caltrain commuter rail electrification. [See December construction update (PDF).]
At that same meeting, the Authority "authoriz(ed) the issuance of a 'request for qualifications' from potential train-operating companies to guide the planning and earliest stages of operations for the bullet train system between the San Joaquin and Silicon valleys," reported Tim Sheehan of The Fresno Bee on Dec. 13. The RFQ was issued on Dec. 16.
"Engaging the early train operator at this time will help us shape our future procurements and provide important guidance as we continue progress on the nation’s first high-speed rail program," said Authority CEO Jeff Morales in a Dec. 16 press release. "The feedback we have received from the private sector demonstrates that this is the best way to approach the program in a timely and efficient manner."
Today’s action was the first part of a two-part procurement process, with a Request for Proposals to be released to qualified offerors in spring 2017 with the goal of having the Early Train Operator on board this summer.
With more than 119 miles of active construction in the Central Valley, construction of a high-speed rail line between the Silicon Valley and Central Valley is planned to be complete by 2024, with passenger service beginning in 2025.
"Meanwhile, CHSRA late last week issued its first sustainability report [PDF], which describes the agency's approach to design, construction and operations of the state's planned high-speed rail system," reports Progressive Railroading.
Hat tip to Jim Mathews, President and CEO, National Association of Railroad Passengers, for including this development in the NARP Hotline.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Earlier on Planetizen:
FULL STORY: High-Speed Rail Authority Moves Towards Securing Early Train Operator [PDF]
Legislature Raises Questions on Draft 2016 California High-Speed Rail Business Plan
Uncertainty as to whether cap-and-trade funding would continue past 2020 and opposition to the initial operating segment leaving out the city of Merced were two issues that arose during a Assembly Transportation Committee hearing of the plan.
Gov. Gavin Newsom to Dramatically Downsize High-Speed Rail Project
The San Francisco-to-Los Angeles bullet train may have to be renamed the Central Valley High-Speed Train according to the announcement by the new governor in his first state-of-the-state address.
Costs Jump on Central Valley Section of California High-Speed Rail
Costs for the initial construction segment, 119 miles from Madera to just outside Bakersfield, jumped $2.8 billion in what the consultant called the "worst-case scenario," to $10.6 billion, or over $89 million per mile.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.
Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.
Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions