Banner image that reads All Aboard 2025 Quarterly Newsletter. To the right of the text is a picture of a grade separation structure and an American flag in the background.

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Authority Responds to FRA: “Termination Is Unwarranted and Unjustified”

Headshot of Ian Choudri in a gray suit and white-button up shirt.

Authority CEO Ian Choudri

California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) CEO Ian Choudri issued a firm and detailed rebuttal to the proposed termination of two major funding agreements in a letter to Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Acting Administrator Drew Feeley on June 11. Choudri’s initial response corrects the record on the FRA’s “unfounded,” “outright misleading,” and “disingenuous” assertions and methodologies, highlighting elements of the review as “nothing more than rhetoric aimed at justifying a pre-ordained conclusion.”

“Termination of the Cooperative Agreements is unwarranted and unjustified,” said CEO Choudri. “The FRA’s conclusions are based on an inaccurate, often outright-misleading, presentation of the evidence. Among other things, the FRA distorts data that the Authority has furnished to the FRA, includes citations to reports that do not support its conclusions, and employs opaque and disingenuous methodologies.”

In a detailed 14-page letterPDF Document, the Authority meticulously disputes each of the FRA’s core findings, while touting the project’s substantial construction progress and funding plan.

Read more about the Authority’s response in our June 12 news release.

 

 

 

Authority Releases Construction Update, Completes More Structures

The Authority has released its Spring 2025 Construction Update, highlighting progress on the nation’s first high-speed rail system. The video features progress on the railhead project, the Hanford Viaduct, State Route 43 Tied Arch Bridge, and multiple grade separations and underpasses. Watch the full video hereExternal Link.

The Authority recently completed the Avenue 56 Grade Separation in Tulare County on June 16. The structure will serve as a grade separation, taking traffic over the future high-speed rail tracks. Located south of the city of Corcoran, the structure spans more than 219 feet long, and 35 feet wide. The structure is comprised of 12 pre-cast concrete girders, 850 cubic yards of concrete and 161,795 pounds of steel. Read more about this structure here.

Additionally, on May 23, the Authority announced the completion and opening of two new grade separation structures: the Belmont Avenue Grade Separation in the City of Fresno and the Central Avenue Grade Separation in south Fresno between Maple and Cedar avenues.

The Belmont Avenue Grade Separation spans more than 611 feet long and 62 feet wide. The overcrossing is comprised of 28 pre-cast concrete girders, more than 12,000 cubic yards of concrete, and 4.3 million pounds of reinforced steel. Read more about this structure here.

The Central Avenue Grade Separation spans 432 feet long and more than 42 feet wide. The overcrossing is comprised of 20 pre-cast concrete girders, 3,700 cubic yards of concrete, and 820,000 pounds of reinforced steel. It will provide approximately $23 million in community benefits from avoided crashes, injuries, fatalities, property damage, and emergency vehicles being able to move more freely without a rail crossing. Read more about this structure here.

There are currently 171 miles under design and construction from Merced to Bakersfield. More than 60 miles of guideway is completed and of the 93 structures needed, 55 are complete and 29 are currently under construction between Madera, Fresno, Kings, and Tulare counties.

Ground view of the Central Avenue Grade Separation. It is a large bridge with multiple column supports.

Central Avenue Grade Separation

Overhead shot of the Avenue 56 Grade Separation. It is surrounded by mounds of dirt and a few construction vehicles.

Avenue 56 Grade Separation

Ground view of the Belmont Avenue Grade Separation over a street.

Belmont Avenue Grade Separation

Advancing a Bold Vision with the Private Sector

Interest from the private sector in investing in California’s High Speed-Rail project is strong — and growing.

In January, the Authority hosted an industry forum that brought together more than 400 experts from around the world to discuss strategies to build the system smarter and faster. That outreach has opened the door to private sector collaboration, and we’re using ongoing feedback to shape future partnerships.

Since joining the Authority in the fall of 2024, CEO Ian Choudri set clear and urgent goals for the program:

  1. 確定項目大小並按正確的順序構建
  2. 建設更快、更聰明、更經濟
  3. 減少繁瑣手續並簡化操作
  4. 實施以盡快連結主要人口中心為重點的新願景
  5. 穩定國家資金和融資機制

“After 200 days in this role, I’m proud to report that all five of these initiatives are well into the implementation phase,” Choudri said. “Notably, our outreach to the private sector has been met with strong and growing interest. While each of these actions is advancing rapidly, a major priority is to bring private capital into the program by early next year. Now is the time for California to show leadership by seizing this ‘once in a project lifetime opportunity’ to unlock private capital and build the future of transportation in California.”

The Authority is preparing to release a Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) to begin the process of formal industry consultation for potential public-private partnerships to drive creative solutions that deliver project segments faster and more efficiently while commercializing assets, such as trainsets, station facilities, track access, fiber, and real estate, at the earliest viable opportunity. Additional opportunities include transit-oriented development, express cargo and parcels movement, and the leasing of assets to the private sector.

Read more about this vision in our May 15 news release.

來自北加州的更新

 

Welcome, APTA Rail Conference, to San Francisco!

See you soon! The Authority is proud to participate in the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) high-speed rail seminar and rail conference this year in San Francisco. Authority staff will host an information booth at the expo and participate in multiple speaking roles, including:

  • A panel on Public Private Partnerships featuring CEO Ian Choudri – Friday, June 27 from noon to 12:45 p.m.
  • A panel on station design and building approaches with Principal Transportation Planner Ben Lichty – Friday, June 27 from 12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
  • A panel on maintaining high-speed and intercity passenger rail momentum with SoCal Regional Director LaDonna DiCamillo – Monday, June 30 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
  • A panel on transit accessibility with NorCal Deputy Regional Director Morgan Galli – Tuesday, July 1 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
  • A panel on expediting delivery with Statewide Regional Director Basem Muallem – Wednesday, July 2 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.

The technical conference features sessions on technology, operations, maintenance, safety and security, planning, finance, capital projects, workforce development, and more.

The high-speed rail seminar takes place June 27 to 28, and the rail conference will be June 29 to July 2.

Registration is open at: https://s6.goeshow.com/apta/rc/2025/register_now.cfmExternal Link

Logo of the American Public Transportation Association. The logo reads

 

Caltrain Electrification Exceeds Expectations

A crowd of people on a platform boarding a Caltrain electric train.

The Authority was a proud funding partner of the Caltrain Electrification Project, which will allow for high-speed rail interoperability in the Bay Area.

The vision of the California High-Speed Rail Authority is to deliver clean, sustainable, electric rail service. That vision is starting to become a reality thanks to the Authority’s early investment in the successful Caltrain Electrification Project.

The Authority invested in the Caltrain electrification project in to help launch the very first segment of a modern, electrified passenger rail system for California. The Authority’s $714 million contribution to the project, about a third of the cost, paves the way for future blended high-speed rail service.

Since launching electric passenger service late last year, Caltrain has seen increased ridership, greater passenger satisfaction, and better environmental results. In January, Caltrain announcedExternal Link a 41 percent jump in the number of passengers for the first three months of its electric service, compared to the same period in 2023. Electrification has driven the best ridership numbers for Caltrain since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Weekends are proving to be especially popular, with trains arriving twice as often.

“I love the electric train. I take it several times a week,” said Walter Huf, a Santa Clara County resident and public transit commuter. “There is a next generation of train technology that provides better, greener, and calmer rides. I’m glad to see it arriving here in California.”

Fifty-one miles of track from San Francisco to San José were electrified and are now being used to support new electric train service. In addition to performance and environmental benefits, electric trains offer a quieter and smoother ride. Electric trains perform better during acceleration and deceleration, which allows for more frequent service and faster travel times between stations.

In January, Caltrain also reportedExternal Link  the new electric trains are running more efficiently than expected and using less power. They are re-capturing 23 percent of the total energy used, through a process called regenerative braking. This lowered the approximate annual cost of the renewable electricity needed to run a train from $19.5 million to $16.5 million.

Benefits from the new electrified service are translating into higher customer satisfaction. A survey conductedExternal Link in January of likely voters in Santa Clara, San Mateo, and San Francisco counties shows overwhelming approval for Caltrain, with 82 percent of respondents reporting a favorable view of the transit agency. Caltrain riders report even stronger approval of the agency, with 84 percent of occasional riders and 91 percent of frequent riders reporting a favorable view.

“Caltrain is running its service on 100 percent renewable energy and is returning nearly a quarter of that energy to the grid,” said Michelle Bouchard, Caltrain’s executive director. “The new electric fleet is delivering on its promise of state-of-the-art service, living up to our mission of providing sustainable transportation that enhances quality of life for everyone.”

 

Making an Impact: Northern California’s Climate Week Roundup

For Earth Day and Climate Week this year, the Northern California outreach team went all out, organizing and participating in three Bay Area events. From a film screening to STEM activities for young scientists and an Earth Day celebration, Authority staff shared the high-speed program’s climate goals: 100 percent renewable, electrified, high-speed rail service and net-zero emissions during construction.

Film “Moving San Francisco” Sparks Important Conversations

As part of SF Climate Week, the Authority hosted a special screening of “Moving San Francisco,”External Link a documentary produced by Jim Yaeger that explores the city’s rich transit history and the foundation it provides for future innovation. The film showed viewers how transportation systems influenced San Francisco’s economic opportunities.

Following the screening, ITS Senior Fellow Egon Terplan moderated an expert panel featuring the Authority’s former Director of Planning and Sustainability Margaret Cederoth and key partners Nila Gonzales of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority and Dave Vautin of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. The discussion delved into how the state’s high-speed rail program and 入口網站External Link will enable a more sustainable future for the city, region, and state. This builds on the region, state and Authority’s investment in Caltrain electrificationExternal Link. Audience members engaged with thought-provoking questions, highlighting the community’s interest in climate-friendly transportation solutions.

In the foreground, a man is showing children a demonstration on laying miniature train tracks. In the background is a woman at a table with various handouts on California High-Speed Rail.

At sciencepalooza!, Authority staff engaged young minds with a miniature model on ballast and rail stability.

Inspiring Young Minds at sciencepalooza!

The Authority’s Northern California outreach team led schoolchildren on a hands-on STEM activity at sciencepalooza!External Link

The activity demonstrated to students how dense material known as ballast is used to add weight and provide stability in rail systems. The ballast activity had students measure the resistance in Newtons during three different scenarios using a spring scale. First, they measured the model track on a bare table; then, they measured the model track on sand; and finally, they measured the model track on both sand and gravel.

“Overall, the experience is a challenge because I am tasked with presenting an engineering concept in a format that is digestible for an audience as young as elementary schoolers,” said Mark Young, a rail engineer with HNTB Corporation. “My favorite part of teaching the kids is seeing how their interest in what I am describing increases as they start to understand the different elements of the track cross sections. They’ll start to ask questions, and I can tell from their facial expressions when they are starting to become engaged in the presentation.”

A woman on a plaza showing a gathered group a pop-up banner map of the California High-Speed Rail alignment. Skyscrapers are in the background of the group.

Authority staff tabled for Earth Day to explain the various benefits California High-Speed Rail will provide for the environment.

Hosted by the Synopsys Outreach Foundation, the event at San José State University provides accessible STEM education to students and families in East Side San José.

Celebrating Earth Day with the Community

Rounding out Climate Week activities, the Northern California team set up an information booth at the SF Earth Day Festival to share information about the Authority’s planning and construction milestones, and benefits — both economic and climate-oriented.

The high-speed rail system will operate on 100 percent renewable energy, reducing California’s greenhouse gas emissions by 0.6 million MTCO2e to 3 million MTCO2e annually. This is the equivalent of removing 142,000 to 700,000 cars from the road.

Additionally, the Authority diverts 95 percent of waste through recycling, reuse, and composting of non-hazardous materials at construction sites.

Looking Forward

Earth Day and Climate Week is always an exciting time for the Authority. Sustainability is at the core of our mission to deliver high-speed rail to California. The Authority is dedicated to the goal of creating the greenest infrastructure project in the nation, both in its operations and its construction.

 

Students Explore Northern California’s High-Speed Rail Partnerships

TRANSOC students got an exclusive look at the train box in the Salesforce Transit Center, which will eventually serve as the northern terminus for California High-Speed Rail.

“Does anybody know the name of the street where the City of San Francisco originally ended?”

“It’s Townsend Street, [as in the] the town’s end,” said Lily Madjus Wu to a group of 25 UC Berkeley graduate students who made the mental connection in a collective “Ooh!”

“That’s the kind of history we’re working with down here,” Madjus Wu continued, as the Transportation Graduate Student Organizing Committee at UC Berkeley Transportation Graduate Students Organizing Committee (TRANSOC) group gathered 60 feet below the Salesforce Transit Center in a pre-constructed, two-level train box. That space will be transformed into the future northern terminal for California High-Speed Rail and Caltrain via The Portal project, also known as the Downtown Rail Extension project.

Madjus Wu led a tour of the train box in her role as the Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs for the Transbay Joint Powers Authority (TJPA), which owns and oversees the Transit Center and delivery of The Portal. The Portal will extend Caltrain service 2.2 miles from Fourth and King Street and deliver the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s future high-speed rail service to the multimodal Salesforce Transit Center in the heart of downtown San Francisco. It is a transformational, once-in-a-generation investment that will ultimately connect 11 transit systems from the Bay Area and Southern California.

The students saw how a network of partnerships is working together to modernize rail in the Bay Area as they traveled along Northern California’s future high-speed rail alignment and terminals, via Caltrain from Diridon Station in San José up to Fourth and King Street Station in San Francisco and then to Salesforce Transit Center.

The tour was arranged by TRANSOC at UC Berkeley. It is a long-running educational organization for students from a variety of academic specialties and careers. Last year, TRANSOC members set a world record for “speed-running” the BART system, visiting all 50 stations in just 5 hours, 47 minutes, and 42 seconds. The tour of the Northern California high-speed rail alignment gave them another memorable day.

“Stepping into the train box under the Salesforce Transit Center was an amazing experience,” said Ameen Alexander DaCosta, co-president of TRANSOC. “It showed the scale of this project and how important high-speed rail will be to the future of transportation throughout California.”

“Seeing everything in person gives such a great perspective,” added co-president Jacob Champlin. “It was an amazing day in the West Bay.”

 

Webinar Series Examines Successful High-Speed Rail Stations

Two men sitting at opposite sides of a table. The table has a banner with the logos of San Jose State University and the Mineta Transportation Institute. Above the table is a projector showing a rendering of a train platform.

The Mineta Transportation Institute’s webinar series took lessons from across the world to discuss how to build high-speed rail stations that will better serve passengers.

The Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) at San José State University gathered rail experts and advocates last month for a fireside chat about how to build the best stations for high-speed rail.

The event celebrated a webinar series, co-sponsored by the Authority, called “On the Right Track: The Transformative Potential of Rail.”

The webinars explore how railway stations can serve “as catalysts for regional growth” in cities around the world, said Dr. Hilary Nixon, Deputy Executive Director of MTI. The discussions explore how thoughtful planning, design, and engineering can help maximize the benefits of transit stations for surrounding communities.

Sustainable growth is a key focus of the series, so railway stations that were able to both spark economic growth and combat climate change were considered as case studies.

  • French railway executive Fabrice Morenon kicked off the series with “The French Case: Stations as City Boosters.” He described how railway stations can improve their communities and should be planned to integrate into their neighborhoods. Public-private partnerships maximize value because they engage “all the communities around the station that are involved in the life and the business of the station.”
  • Spanish engineer Eduardo Romo presented “The Spanish Case: Transformación Rápida.” Spain built the largest high-speed rail system in Europe, which greatly strengthened its economy. Multiple operators offer high-speed trips along the Spanish tracks today, and Romo argues this competition improves the entire network. Romo consults for the Authority as a certified small business.
  • German architect Tobias Keyl traveled from Berlin to join the fireside chat and to lead the third webinar in the series, “The German Case: Rail Stations to Connect the World.” Keyl argues for modern stations to creatively marry engineering and design in order to draw more riders. “We want to remove obstacles for consumers who want to use trains. The more obstacles we have to overcome to use the rail, the easier we make it for people to use cars,” he said.
  • The final webinar, “Berlin, Beijing, Bakersfield: Station Design Insights for U.S. Rail” focused on actionable insights for policymakers today. It featured architect Kristopher Takács, designer Heidi Sokolowsky, and Eric Eidlin, a planner with the City of San José who also served as host. “We’ve been on a bit of a trip around the world,” said Eidlin. “Train stations serve both as the front door of cities and as the primary economic drivers of them.” He pointed to examples of housing developments and successful shops expanding around train stations.

You can watch all the episodes  at the MTI website.External Link

 

Celebrating 86 Years for a Transit Leader

Three woman and a map smiling for the camera. They are standing in front of a window with a grid design. One woman is holding a small cake with lit candles outstretched toward the man.

Rod Diridon Sr. is a tireless advocate for better public transportation in California and was formerly chair of the California High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors.

Rod Diridon Sr. celebrated his 86th birthday doing one of the things that he loves best: educating the public about high-speed rail and climate change.

“I want to let you know why I am here tonight, instead of sitting back home watching TV,” Diridon told the crowd of transportation leaders and transit advocates who gathered in downtown San José to help him celebrate. “Because climate change is happening now,” he said. “We can fix this if we have the courage.”

Diridon is one of the state’s leading advocates for mass transit and the shift to a green economy. His storied career includes serving for 10 years on the board of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, two of them as chair. He played a key role in starting up Santa Clara County’s light-rail system. He was also the founding executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute at San José State University (SJSU), which hosted the event.

Diridon has been involved with trains all his life. He grew up in the historic California railroad town of Dunsmuir as the son of a railroad worker. He himself worked as a railroad brakeman and fireman to pay his way through SJSU.

Diridon encouraged the crowd to work together for better transit. He called for a new generation of rail service in San José including at the train station named in his honor. “We’ve got to make Diridon Station so attractive that when rail comes here, we can get hundreds of thousands of drivers out of their cars and into the station,” he told the crowd. “That’s the trip of the future — that’s how we save our children.”

來自南加州的更新

 

SoCal Outreach Is Heating Up

A panel of two women and two men on a long table on a stage. Above the group is a large projector with details on the California High-Speed Rail system.

Southern California Regional Director LaDonna DiCamillo speaks at San Diego State’s 3rd Annual Sustainability Summit.

High-Speed Rail at SDSU Sustainability Summit, April 16

The California High-Speed Rail Authority joined San Diego State University’s third annual Sustainability Summit on April 16, where more than 100 students, staff, and faculty visited our table, many with questions, many already hopeful. Curiosity about the San Diego alignment ran high, and conversations quickly turned to what’s happening now: active construction in the Central Valley and the recently electrified Caltrain corridor between San Francisco and San José.

Southern California Regional Director LaDonna DiCamillo joined a regional panel, offering a clear-eyed look at the system’s progress and potential. That energy carried through the room, drawing more questions and excitement about California’s future in clean, connected transportation.

Turning Sci-Fi into History: High-Speed Rail at the LA Times Festival of Books

On the weekend of April 26 and 27, even the rain could not keep away the more than 1,000 Angelenos who flocked to engage with the California High-Speed Rail Authority team at the LA Times Festival of Books at the University of Southern California. The energy was electric as bookworms and writers from all over SoCal got to look into the future promised by our 100 percent renewable energy rail. They built pop-up trains, took selfies with conductor hats, brought parrots to greet our staff, and shared with us their travel plans and dreams of other states following California’s example.

These bookworms cannot wait to see us turn science-fiction into history with the first high-speed rail in the country. Full speed ahead into a greener future!

Southern California outreach staff tabling at the LA Youth Expo. The staffer is standing behind a table with various high-speed rail factsheets and a hard hat and safety vest on top. The staffer is speaking to a young man about the project.

In Southern California, staff presented at the L.A. Youth Expo to educate young people on the future of transportation in California.

Older Adults Share Their Vision: High-Speed Rail at Metro’s Transportation Expo

At Metro’s Older Adult Transportation Expo on May 9 in Pasadena, the California High-Speed Rail Authority connected with seniors interested in the future of transportation in California. Some attendees shared their past experiences riding high-speed rail in countries like Japan and across Europe and expressed optimism about having a similar system available for future generations here.

The Authority’s presence prompted discussions about the long-term value of public infrastructure and the role high-speed rail can play in improving statewide mobility. Attendees appreciated learning about project updates, while some were eager to see progress for the benefit of their children and grandchildren. We appreciate Metro for including us in this important event focused on accessibility, education, and future-forward thinking.

Inspiring Futures: High-Speed Rail Engages L.A. Youth at Expo

The California High-Speed Rail Authority had the opportunity to meet with more than 200 youth and families at the third annual L.A. Youth Expo. It was energizing to see so many young people curious about the state’s high-speed rail project. A large number showed interest in the Central Valley Training Center and its pre-apprenticeship program in Selma, especially those looking into careers in the skilled trades. We appreciated the honest conversations, thoughtful inquiries, and the overall enthusiasm about career possibilities. Thank you to the event organizers for bringing together such a motivated and engaged crowd.

 

Three Landmark L.A. Metro Rail Projects to Look Out for in 2025

Move over, automobile! This year is looking to be a big one for LA Metro and Southern Californians who are frustrated with smog, bumper-to-bumper highway traffic, ever-increasing parking fees, and over half a million accidentsExternal Link in California per year.

The numbers show Southern Californians are increasingly choosing public transit, and LA Metro is meeting the moment. Despite the plunge in ridership at the start of the pandemic, LA Metro’s most recent annual updateExternal Link shows daily ridership surpassed 1 million boardings in September 2024. With 24 consecutive months of ridership growth, LA Metro is a hair’s breadth away from surpassing the approximately 1.2 million daily boardings reported in 2019.

A train platform with passengers waiting for their trains. There is a staircase in the center that leads up to the station.

The LAX Metro Rail Station opened for service on June 6.

The 2025 openings of three new rail projects on the K, A, and D lines may just be what puts LA Metro over the top.

On June 6, the much anticipated LAX Metro Rail StationExternal Link on the K Line finally opened for service. A free shuttle will run every 10 minutes from the rail station to the lower level of each LAX terminal. The opening of this station marks the completion of the K Line, providing service from Mid-City to Redondo Beach just in time for the summer.

This summer also brings the start of four new Metro A Line stations in Pomona, La Verne, San Dimas, and Glendora. The A Line extensionExternal Link (formerly known as the Foothill Gold Line Extension) further cements the LA Metro A Line’s status as the longest light rail line on the planet. And LA Metro isn’t stopping there, with stations in Claremont and Montclair still on the horizon for 2030.

Meanwhile, the Metro D Line is steadily pushing west into Westwood, with four new miles and three new stations near UCLA and Beverly Hills expected to be open for service as soon as the end of the year.

LA Metro’s success helps lay the groundwork for high-speed rail. The primary hub for the LA Metro system is, of course, Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. Sharing this hub means Southern Californians will have full public transportation connectivity, not just locally, but statewide.

Upcoming Events

接下來的活動

以下是您不想錯過的即將舉行的活動!

APTA High-Speed Rail Seminar and Rail ConferenceExternal Link
June 27 to July 2, 2025
San Francisco, California

CA High-Speed Rail Board of Directors Meeting
July 10
California Department of Food and Agriculture, Sacramento, California

Gloria Molina Grand Park Pop UpExternal Link
July 17, 2025
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Gloria Molina Grand Park, Los Angeles, California

Los Angeles Public Library Job FairExternal Link
July 19, 2025
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Los Angeles Public Library, Los Angeles, California

East Palo Alto Community Farmers MarketExternal Link
August 20, 2025
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
East Palo Alto, California

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