SACRAMENTO — The state of California has unveiled a $310 billion plan to expand the state’s rail network to increase its share of passenger travel from 2% to 20% by 2050 through a network featuring extensive electrification and zero-emission operations.
The new State Rail Plan was announced Jan. 7 by Gov. Gavin Newsom. It envisions an electrified network including, but going beyond, the current high-speed rail system under construction, including additional service or new routes that are part of the Federal Railroad Administration’s Corridor Identification and Development program announced in late 2023 [see “Full list of passenger routes …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 8, 2023].
“Our vision is simple: by 2050, every Californian should be able to choose rail as a way to get to their destination, near or far,” Newsom said in a press release. “Our rail plan is ambitious, but as the world’s fifth largest economy bursting with talent and innovation, we’re ready to take on this challenge.”
Said state Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin, “Critically, this plan pushes beyond the status quo, improving multimodal options, clean air and equitable access to jobs and other opportunities ― all vital components of a thriving community.”
The full 70-page plan is available here, with a two-page fact sheet here.
Right now CA is not much of an example for any state. It has a major problem with its bureaucracy inertia, coupled with environmental regulations that allow no deviation regardless of the circumstances.
CA is now loosing tax-paying population and businesses due to its taxes as well as social and economic problems. Its population loss is only being offset by the arrival of immigrants, which do not create enough state income to offset the tax loss caused by those leaving.
Committing to major expenditures whose eventual cost and completion dates are currently far too optimistic does not bode well for the future. If this “master” plan is handled the same as the original HSR has been, it will not work out well for the state’s residents.
If California’s problems with fires, floods, drought, mudslides, high living costs, useless but costly HSR and earthquakes continues, there may be almost no people there by 2080. Certainly, no sensible people.
How many miles of the HSR are now in full operation, carrying people?
I don’t doubt California’s efforts. They started by improving the Amtrak service between the Bay area and Bakersfield. Then, they improved the service between Santa Barbara and San Diego. They electrified the San Jose to San Francisco trackage. They ARE building HSR. When it is completed California will be an example for the rest of the country.
I’m going to skip past the price tag and deadline to note the inclusion of a new corridor on the map, or at least one I haven’t heard anything about before: Lemoore to Porterville via Kings-Tulare (Hanford). Presumably intended to connect major population centers, like Visalia and the endpoints, to the HSR system at Hanford. Not necessarily a bad idea long-term, but I’m curious who owns those tracks now and what their opinion on adding passenger service would be. And if they intend to get back into Porterville proper; the track currently ends in Strathmore a little to the north.
It’s called the “Cross Valley Corridor”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_Valley_Corridor
My prior post got nabbed for having a link in it.
Its called the Cross Valley Corridor, its a former SP branch line owned by UP except for one part that was spun off. The San Joaquin Valley Railroad (SJVR) is the operator, they are a G&W subsidiary.
Where will the money come from?
$310 billion by 2050, doubtful. As with all government projects, shoot an unrealistically low figure to get the public to buy in. How many trillion dollars to complete this project in 2080 remains to be seen.
California better control and prevent all those potential wildfire growth problems so as not to burn the catenary, not to mention their grandiose plans to electrify all cars.
More trains? Great idea. 20% goal? Impossible.
Now? The alt.energy bunch has been blowing green smoke for at least a decade and NOW they suggest mass electrification? This should have been job #1, priority #1.
Electrification might be wishful thinking but it needs to be done.
Fantasy Island isn’t just a TV show.
Find America’s most accomplished and effective and knowledgeable rail planner. Ask him or her what the goal is. It ain’t no 20%.
Whoever came up with that 20% number is likely someone who has done nothing to implement passenger train travel.
There’s those that do, and those that write meaningless “planning” studies.