High-Speed Rail at a Glance

Southern California

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) continues to invest in Southern California projects that will provide near-term regional mobility benefits and lay the foundation for high-speed rail service.

Bakersfield Los Angeles Anaheim San Diego

Southern California has 4 of the 10 largest cities in the state, which will be connected by high-speed rail

Activities are already underway that will provide improved transportation choices for the more than 23 million people that call Southern California home. The Authority is providing $1.3 billion of Proposition 1A funds and other funding to support investments in Southern California projects.

Funding Agreements

 

In collaboration with regional stakeholders, the Authority completed funding agreements for the following projects:

  • $18 million for the environmental review of the Link Union Station (LinkUS) Project.
  • $76.7 million to the Rosecrans/Marquardt Grade Separation Project.
  • The Authority has also committed $423 million for the Link US Phase A run-through track and station improvements project.

Sections & Stations

Explore below for details on high-speed rail project sections and current station planning and development in Southern California. The Authority continues to work with local partners to develop station area plans based around proposed high‑speed rail centers.

To view additional resources related to the environmental documents, visit meethsrsocal.org’.

PROJECT PROGRESS

Rosecrans/Marquardt Grade Separation Project

  • The Authority is providing $76.7 million in Proposition 1A funds for the Rosecrans/Marquardt Grade Separation Project in Santa Fe Springs that will improve safety and traffic flow.
  • Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), the lead agency on the project, estimates that more than 112 trains and more than 45,000 vehicles use the crossing daily.

Los Angeles Union Station – Link Union Station (Link US) Project

  • The Link US Project involves extensive track and station upgrades to Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS) that will transform access for regional services as well as modernize the station into a world-class facility.
  • The Authority contributed $18 million toward the environmental review and is responsible for the NEPA review of the project under the Authority’s federal NEPA Assignment responsibilities. That Authority’s Board of Directors approved the Link US Funding Plan in April 2020, establishing the Authority’s commitment to provide an additional $423 million in Proposition 1A bookend funds toward the project.

BNSF Partnership

  • The Authority worked with BNSF Railway (BNSF), CalSTA and regional rail providers to develop a concept in the Los Angeles to Anaheim project section to accommodate existing diesel passenger and freight rail traffic while adding electrified high-speed rail tracks. The concept will fit mostly inside the existing right of way, thereby reducing impacts in the main corridor.
  • Offsetting the capacity lost by reducing freight to two tracks will require new facilities to be constructed in the Inland Empire, including the Lenwood Staging Tracks near Barstow and the Colton Intermodal Facility.

Future Palmdale Station Planning

  • In December 2020, the Palmdale City Council approved the Palmdale Transit Area Specific Plan, which details how land can be developed around the 746 acres near the future high-speed rail station.
  • The Authority partially funded the plan, which includes the creation of a multimodal transportation hub to connect high-speed rail, Metrolink, Brightline West, Amtrak and future light rail, as well as Greyhound bus services and other local transit options.

Brightline West

  • Brightline West, a Brightline-affiliated company, is planning to build a high-speed rail line to connect Las Vegas, Nevada and Victorville, California. Connecting the two systems would generate significant benefits for both systems, including higher ridership and the possibility of bringing high-speed rail benefits to Southern California sooner.
  • In January 2019, we joined CalSTA and Caltrans to collaborate with Brightline West through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining our intent to evaluate opportunities to extend the high-speed rail system, share information to evaluate interoperability, and evaluate and identify joint purchasing opportunities for materials and possibly trainsets and reservation/ticketing systems.

Get The Facts

Myth: High-speed rail hasn’t started in Southern California

Fact:

Brightline West is planning a 130-mile high-speed train connecting Las Vegas with Southern California. The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) entered an MOU with Brightline West to coordinate on system interoperability, design and materials whenever possible. Meanwhile, environmental clearance continues of the San Francisco to LA/Anaheim line in Southern California and the Authority advances bookend and connectivity projects with partners including LA Metro and SANDAG.

Myth: High-speed rail stations aren’t planned in Southern California.

Fact:

Phase 1 stations are planned for Palmdale, in Burbank as part of the Hollywood/Burbank Airport area, at Los Angeles Union Station in downtown Los Angeles and as part of the ARTIC station near Disneyland in Anaheim. The Authority has committed $423 million in funding to make the Link Union Station Project in Los Angeles a reality.

Myth: High-speed rail trains won’t connect with airports.

Fact:

The Hollywood Burbank Airport currently has plane to train connectivity and a high-speed rail platform is planned near the terminal. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will have plane to train connectivity when a Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) and Los Angeles World Airport (LAWA) project now under construction is complete and brings air travel passengers from LAX to Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS) where they will have access to passenger rail service on Metro, Metrolink and Amtrak trains, and in the future, high-speed rail.

Myth: High-speed rail isn’t bringing jobs to Southern California.

Fact:

Jobs from the California High-Speed Rail Project, such as planning, engineering, outreach and administration, already exist in Southern California and, in the future, construction jobs will be added as various project sections begin construction.

Want More Information?

Find more information about high-speed rail in California. From factsheets and regional newsletters, to maps and outreach events, get on board with the most up‑to‑date program information.

Regional NewsletterVisit buildHSR

 

  1. INRIX 2017 Global Traffic Scorecard

As of 2018

The California High-Speed Rail Authority makes every effort to ensure the website and its contents meet mandated ADA requirements as per the California State mandated Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level AA standard. If you are looking for a particular document not located on the California High-Speed Rail Authority website, you may make a request for the document under the Public Records Act through the Public Records Act page. If you have any questions about the website or its contents, please contact the Authority at info@hsr.ca.gov.