California recently committed $1 billion annually in cap-and-invest revenues for high-speed rail through 2045. This funding provides the long-term stability the project has lacked, giving California a real chance to deliver on the vision of high-speed rail voters approved back in 2008 via Prop 1A.
Prop 1A envisioned a high-speed rail system linking San Francisco and Southern California to the Central Valley, including stops in cities such as Fresno, Bakersfield, and Merced. The message was clear: The Central Valley was not to be bypassed.
Progress has been scattered, so the Legislature wisely honed its focus in 2022 by passing Senate Bill 198 with overwhelming support. That law directed the High-Speed Rail Authority to prioritize the 171-mile Merced-to-Bakersfield segment. This was not a random choice. Merced is uniquely positioned to serve as a hub where high-speed rail connects with ACE passenger rail service to Silicon Valley, Amtrak to Sacramento and Oakland, and bus service to Yosemite. The 2024 California State Rail Plan describes this vision in detail, mentioning Merced as the first place where regional, intercity, and high-speed rail networks meet. In short, Merced is where California’s state rail system becomes a functioning system. That is why SB 198 mandates Merced-Bakersfield as high-speed rail’s initial operating segment, and the 2024 State Rail Plan discusses this vision in detail…