BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — On Friday, the California High-Speed Rail Authority released new developments on the high-speed rail from San Francisco to Los Angeles that would stop in Bakersfield.
Officials said that the state's environmental review process for the final 23-mile route between Shafter and Bakersfield is complete and now the authority can move toward project construction for the Bakersfield portion.
The rail authority also released an official map of the approved route:
This all comes after the County Board of Supervisors voted to abandon the project eight months ago. Since then, the rail authority moved forward with its plans to build a scaled-back version of the bullet train that once promised to take people from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
This week, the Bakersfield Homeless Center announced the sale of their facility to the rail authority as part of the land procurement process to build the tracks. The rail authority bought the center for $6 million.
The rail authority said its goal is to complete the Merced-Fresno- Bakersfield high-speed rail line for early service by 2028. While also working to deliver the full phase one system between San Francisco and Los Angeles/Anaheim by 2033.
