“We are proud to support so many outstanding infrastructure projects in communities large and small, modernizing America’s transportation systems to make them safer, more affordable, more accessible, and more sustainable,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during the FY22 RAISE program grant announcement.

First Look: Rail-Related RAISE Grantees for FY22

More than $332 million in FY 2022 RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) program grants will be distributed among 23 freight and passenger rail-related projects in 17 states, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) report released Aug. 11.

Caltrain and BART have agreed to grant an easement to CHSRA to add a high-speed rail stop to the existing station complex in Millbrae. (CHSRA))

Millbrae Sues CHSRA Over Proposed Station

On July 1, Millbrae, a city located in California’s northern San Mateo County, sued the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), as well as Caltrain and Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) in the

Report: California Delivering $4.2B to High Speed Rail

California’s new $307.9 billion budget includes the release of $4.2 billion in Proposition 1A funds to the California High-Speed Rail Authority, “prioritizing $2 billion for the construction of the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment, with a new independent Office of Inspector General providing oversight of the project,” the Los Angeles Times reported on June 30.

(Rendering Courtesy of CHSRA)

CHSRA Issues Final EIR/EIS for Northern California Project

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has released for Board approval the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIR/EIS) for the San Francisco to San Jose project section in Northern California.

CHSRA Certifies Silicon Valley-Central Valley EIR/EIS

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) on April 28 certified the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the approximately 90-mile San Jose to Merced section in Northern California, approving the project. The move “is a critical milestone that moves the project section closer to being ‘shovel ready’ for when pre-construction and construction funding becomes available,” CHSRA said.

Amtrak’s new Alstom-built Acela II trainset, seen here testing on the Northeast Corridor, is expected to enter revenue service later this year. (Gary Pancavage)

Moving Forward—At Restricted Speed

RAILWAY AGE MARCH 2022 ISSUE: U.S. high-speed rail is a mixed bag, with some projects more likely to succeed than others.

CHSRA Releases Final EIR/EIS for Northern California Project

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) on Feb. 25 released for Board approval a Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for an approximately 90-mile extent of the 145-mile San Jose to Merced Project Section in Northern California.

Commentary

California HSR: Limited Clear

Exactly three years ago, I pronounced the California High-Speed Rail project dead, and issued a poor prognosis for high-speed rail generally in the United States (Whither (Wither) High-Speed Rail?, posted here in

With the CHSRA Board’s Jan. 20 approval of the Burbank-Los Angeles segment, it is another step closer to being “shovel ready” as funding becomes available.

CHSRA Board Greenlights Burbank-Los Angeles Section

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) on Jan. 20 certified the Burbank to Los Angeles Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS), approving the approximately 14-mile section of the 500-mile Phase 1 high speed rail alignment connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim.

“We’re proud to support these [90] great projects that will improve infrastructure, strengthen supply chains, make us safer, advance equity, and combat climate change,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who announced the RAISE discretionary grants program recipients on Nov. 19.

USDOT Awards $1B in RAISE Grants

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) will distribute nearly $1 billion to 90 rail, transit, road and port projects through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grants program; California High-Speed Rail Authority and Genesee & Wyoming are among the grantees.

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