Alex Padilla U.S. Senator for California

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.), along with Representatives Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.-33), Jim Costa (D-Calif.-21), and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18), urged Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to approve the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s (Authority) grant application for $536 million in federal funds. The project would support critical tunneling design work to advance construction from the Central Valley toward California’s largest population centers. The projected ridership for this new corridor would make it the most traveled intercity passenger service in the nation.

“Advancing progress on the California Phase 1 Corridor is essential for enhancing our nation’s and California’s strategic transportation network investments,” wrote the lawmakers. “The Phase 1 Corridor aims to address climate concerns, promote health, improve access and connectivity, and boost economic vitality, while addressing current highway and rail capacity constraints.”

“By preparing for future final design and construction of complex tunnels in this corridor, the Project will advance both state and federal goals to improve safety, expand economic strength and global competitiveness, address equity issues, and implement sustainability practices to confront climate change,” continued the lawmakers. “These investments will continue to support living wage jobs, provide small business opportunities, and equitably enhance the mobility of communities in need — including disadvantaged agricultural communities — all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

The application for the California Phase 1 Corridor Tunneling Design — North and South — Project would support the next stage of design for the first two segments in a sequence of design sections, including a Bakersfield to Palmdale segment (South) and a Gilroy to Central Valley Wye segment (North). These segments have already been environmentally cleared.

Specifically, the South link will connect with two additional high-speed rail projects underway, the High Desert Corridor and Brightline West, as well as existing rail services, including Metrolink. The North link will connect with Caltrain and Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) rail services.

The Authority’s $536 million project development grant application would be matched by state Cap-and-Trade funds of almost $134 million for a total project cost of roughly $670 million. This funding would help initiate time-intensive and complex tunneling design work, including civil design, preliminary geotechnical studies, right-of-way design identification, and utility design. The Authority’s application for FY 2024 funding was submitted to the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail National Program for projects outside the Northeast Corridor (FSP-National).

The FSP-National grant application is part of an ongoing federal-state partnership that has provided approximately $28.8 billion in funding for California High-Speed Rail, including $22 billion from state funds and $6.8 billion from federal funds. California has committed more funding for advanced electrified, 220 mph high-speed rail than any other state.

This historic federal-state partnership yielded $7 billion in labor income and $18 billion in total economic output across California from July 2006 through June 2023. It has also created more than 14,200 construction jobs, largely based in the Central Valley, and employed more than 860 small, disadvantaged, and disabled veteran businesses.

Last year, Senator Padilla supported the Department of Transportation’s announcement of $3.1 billion for the California High-Speed Rail Authority, as well as over $200 million for the agency from the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Grant Program. He and the late Senator Dianne Feinstein previously announced $25 million for the Authority’s Merced Extension Design Project through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program.

Full text of the letter is available here and below:

Dear Secretary Buttigieg:

As members of the California Congressional delegation, we are writing to express our strong support for the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s (Authority) application for Fiscal Year 2024 funding from the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail National Program for projects outside the Northeast Corridor (FSP-National).

The Authority’s application for the California Phase 1 Corridor Tunneling Design – North and South – aims to support the next stage of design for the first two segments in a sequence of design sections that have been environmentally cleared: (1) Bakersfield to Palmdale (South); and (2) Gilroy to Central Valley Wye (North). The planned tunneling design work is essential for advancing the program from the current construction in the Central Valley toward the largest population centers of the State.

The project development grant application is for $536 million that would be matched by state Cap-and-Trade funds of almost $134 million for a total project cost of roughly $670 million. The objective of the Project is to initiate the time-intensive and complex tunneling design work, achieving 30% design. This includes civil design, preliminary geotechnical studies, right-of-way design identification, and utility design.

The scope of work in both sections involves detailed geotechnical investigations critical to completing the future final design of two long-lead-time, complex tunnel sections: (1) through the Tehachapi Mountains in Southern California; and (2) through the Pacheco Pass in the Diablo Mountain Range in Northern California. These tunnels will enable connections with other intercity passenger rail systems in the Southwest Region Corridor.

• In the South, California High-Speed Rail (CAHSR) will connect with two additional high-speed rail projects underway, the High Desert Corridor and Brightline West, as well as existing rail services, including Metrolink.
• In the North, CAHSR will connect with Caltrain and Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) rail services.

The requested federal funds are needed to support areas of critical need in advancing the State’s first intercity passenger service operating at high speeds. The projected ridership for the California Phase 1 Corridor would make it the most traveled intercity passenger service in the nation.

The Authority’s FSP-National grant application is part of an on-going federal-state partnership that, to-date, has provided approximately $28.8 billion in funding for California High-Speed Rail consisting of $22 billion (or 76%) from state funds and $6.8 billion (or 24%) from federal funds. California is the only state in the country to have committed this level of funding and advanced electrified, 220 mph high-speed rail this far.

This historic federal-state partnership has also resulted in significant job and economic opportunities including:

• Creating more than 14,200 construction jobs since the start of high-speed rail construction through September 2024, with most of these jobs going to Central Valley residents and men and women from disadvantaged communities.
• Employing more than 860 small, disadvantaged, and disabled veteran businesses through August 2024.
• Yielding $7.0 billion in labor income and $18.0 billion in total economic output across the State from July 2006 through June 2023.

Advancing progress on the California Phase 1 Corridor is essential for enhancing our nation’s and California’s strategic transportation network investments. The Phase 1 Corridor aims to address climate concerns, promote health, improve access and connectivity, and boost economic vitality, while addressing current highway and rail capacity constraints. By preparing for future final design and construction of complex tunnels in this corridor, the Project will advance both state and federal goals to improve safety, expand economic strength and global competitiveness, address equity issues, and implement sustainability practices to confront climate change. These investments will continue to support living wage jobs, provide small business opportunities, and equitably enhance the mobility of communities in need – including disadvantaged agricultural communities – all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Please consider the enormous value and meaningful impact that FSP-National grant funding will provide to advancing CAHSR beyond the Central Valley.

Sincerely,

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