California Construction News staff writer
The California High-Speed Rail Authority has issued a supplemental update to its 2025 Project Update Report, setting out a plan to link Northern and Southern California through the Central Valley by 2039.
The report to the state legislature emphasizes building a commercially viable high-speed rail system as quickly as possible with available funding, while making progress toward full service between downtown San Francisco and Los Angeles/Anaheim.
Since work began, the project has created more than 15,600 construction jobs, most of them in the Central Valley. Up to 1,700 workers are on site each day.
The Authority said predictable funding would avoid stop-and-go delays, attract private investment, and ultimately save time and public money.
“I see clearer now more than ever the potential for this transformational project, one that can reshape the state and our society for the better,” CEO Ian Choudri said in a statement. “I see a future — by 2038 to 2039 — when operations are already connecting the Central Valley to population centers and innovation hubs, offering new career opportunities, economic mobility, affordable housing, and a cleaner environment.”
The report presents three scenarios for service:
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Completing the 171-mile Merced-to-Bakersfield segment, which is already under design and construction.
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Extending service from San Francisco to Bakersfield by building new rail to Gilroy and working with partners on the Gilroy-to-San Jose corridor.
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Expanding from San Francisco to Palmdale, creating a link with Metrolink and Brightline West, which is planning service between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga.
Officials said the plan depends on stable, long-term funding and policy support from the state. The report highlights opportunities for private-sector partnerships through Public-Private-Partnership delivery models.
Construction on the first 171-mile segment is well underway, with nearly 70 miles of guideway completed and 55 structures finished. Another 29 are under construction across Madera, Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties.
