WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board will consider the request for an exemption allowing construction of a 54-mile high speed line between Palmdale and Apple Valley, Calif., that would connect planned Brightline West (formerly Xpress West) and California High Speed Rail Authority rail lines.
The board, in a Thursday decision, said it will open a proceeding on the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Authority’s request for an exemption that would allow it to build without meeting the board’s prior-approval requirement, as well as an exemption from ongoing regulation.
The authority, with members representing Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, as well as the communities of Apple Valley, Adelanto, Victorville, Lancaster, and Palmdale, would assume the route’s common-carrier obligation but expects it will be operated and maintained by a third part. An environmental impact statement and report for the project, first advanced as part of a larger proposal, is currently under review by the Federal Railroad Administration as well as the STB’s Office of Environmental Analysis.
The board will accept comments on the transportation merits of the proposal through Jan. 10, 22, with reply comments due Feb. 8, 2022.
More information on the authority is available on the Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County websites.
The other reason to stop at Palmdale is to pick up pax who boarded at local stations. This is why PRR continued stopping its thru trains at Paoli after the electrification was completed to Harrisburg.
What year it’s going to be completed?
If you mean CalHSR, you have asked this question before, and I have responded before with my opinion. My opinion is that I do not believe CalHSR will be completed.
When it’s going to be completed?
Get pass the doom and gloom is there a couple things going for it I believe. First, could be mistaken but the extension is using an existing right of way the same for much of the new leg to Las Vegas. This takes a big chunk of complication out of it just as Brightline’s Orlando and future Tampa extension is mostly is freeway RoW. Second, it will tie into existing commuter rail service which will bolster state environmental reviews. Third, this might a poster project for Brightline to pursue Federal Infrastructure funds. Would be nice to see some of the funds going to a private railway w a biz plan to make a profit.
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Brightline is playing long game in the extension will help solidify future success & ridership which is a rarity in anything that has to deal with private railroad entities, freight and hopefully more private passenger
True enough, Charles. Brightline will be entering the Twightlight Zone (no offense, Rod) of NIMBYs, BANANAs, CEQA, NEPA, ESA and CWA. That stands for Not In My Back Yard, Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything, California Environmental Quality Act, National Environmental Quality Act, Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act. I may have left a few out, sorry.
Best of luck to them.
Yup, you left out a whole lot: economic reality.
The existing Metrolink Antelope Valley Line could be expanded on, its already has $107 million in grant money for planned improvements allowing half-hourly service. If you electrified you could run Brightline trains straight to LA, and Metrolink trains to Victorville and Apple Valley. This HSR proposal started as a commuter rail extension anyways.
@Benjamin Turon: The current run time between LA and Palmdale is 2 hours because the Antelope valley line has grades and curves. So electrifying the line may help a bit but not a lot. Using it as is will negate much of the advantage of HSR on the Palmdale Las Vegas segment. I see this as a no-go. Even CaHSR wants its own right of way into LA which many us doubt will ever happen.
Until CASRA line is built (next millennium?) a one-seat ride/through train to LA is better (and faster) than changing to a Metrolink train as ‘Brightline’ has stated as a plan. You don’t have to electrify, as one could do what Virgin Trains in the UK did for one service that branched off the electrified West Coast Main Line to Wales (ferry to Ireland), they had the 125-mph ‘Pendolino’ hauled by a diesel locomotive over the un-electrified line.
Nice proposal – trouble is, the probability of completion HSR Palmdale to Burbank to Los Angeles verges on zero.