For Immediate Release (22-12)
Contact: Madison Butler, mbutler@narprail.org
 

Rail Passengers Association Praises California’s Leadership for Advancing High-Speed Rail Project

Washington, D.C. -- The Rail Passengers Association praised the California State Legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom for their work to release $4.2 billion in voter-approved funding to advance construction of the state's high-speed rail project. Governor Newsom signed the bill into law today, which will include funds to complete the electrified Central Valley high-speed train between Bakersfield and Merced. The high-speed rail service will eventually connect San Francisco to Los Angeles, with additional plans to connect south to San Diego.

“We’re thrilled that California’s political leaders are ratifying the will of the voters by advancing funding for the state’s high-speed rail project,” said Sean Jeans-Gail, Vice President of Government Affairs at Rail Passengers Association. “Now, we’re calling on those same leaders, in partnership with the California High-Speed Rail Authority, to accelerate construction on this corridor. This is not the Notre Dame Cathedral, and it should not be a generational construction effort. The need to electrify the state’s transportation system to battle climate change is too urgent to let this project languish under a barrage of endless reviews and lawsuits.”

As part of the deal, California will provide $3.65 billion in funding to improve other parts of the state’s regional rail system; potential projects include Caltrain electrification. The California State Legislature also established the High-Speed Rail Authority Office of the Inspector General to provide independent oversight to the project.

###

About Rail Passengers Association

The Rail Passengers Association is the oldest and largest national organization serving as a voice for the more than 40 million rail passengers in the U.S. Our mission is to improve and expand conventional intercity and regional passenger train services, support higher speed rail initiatives, increase connectivity among all forms of transportation and ensure safety for our country's trains and passengers. All of this makes communities safer, more accessible, and more productive, improving the lives of everyone who lives, works and plays in towns all across America.