Project leaders have been focused on completing the 171-mile Bakersfield to Merced line, which was expected to cost taxpayers an estimated $35.3 billion with a completion date sometime between ...

The California High-Speed Rail Authority released its initial Project Update Report for 2025 in March, revealing revised cost estimates for the Merced to Bakersfield segment. The 2024 Business ...

A federal probe by the Trump Administration determined the California High Speed Rail Authority in default on terms of two ...

It’s 2025 and the Merced-to-Bakersfield section has not been completed. That one segment would cost more than the original project total, the Department of Transportation says.

The latest estimates of construction costs for the Valley route between Merced and Bakersfield range from $32.1 billion to $35.3 billion. Advertisement. About Our Ads; Solve the daily Crossword.

Currently, 119 miles of the 171-mile Merced-to-Bakersfield segment are under construction. Passenger service between Merced and Bakersfield is projected to start between 2030 and 2033.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) is applying for a $67 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration to improve highway/rail grade crossings in Shafter, Calif. CHSRA on Oct.

Duffy also noted that if Californians really want a fast train from L.A. to San Francisco (the original plan) or Merced to Bakersfield (the placeholder scheme) they can have it.

As of 2025, only part of the first segment — a 171-mile stretch from Merced to Bakersfield — has been built. That section is now slated for completion between 2030 and 2033, and it alone is ...

Consultants have now been informed and documents obtained by KCRA 3 show the Bakersfield to Merced project estimate could now grow by up to another $3.2 billion, reaching a total of $38.5 billion.