Winter 2026 California High-Speed Rail Progress Report
The video features updates on:
🏗️ Construction in the Central Valley
🚅 Railhead + Track & Systems
📃 Los Angeles to Anaheim Environmental Documents
Watch now: bit.ly/4bLMrj7
‼️ Californians deserve the quick, efficient, and reliable travel alternative that much of the world already enjoys.
🚄 With top speeds of 220mph, high-speed rail will get you from SF to LA in under 3 hours, permanently transforming transportation in CA.
#BuildHSR
We welcome this investigation & look forward to working with federal partners.
CA High-Speed Rail has been audited over 100x, every dollar is accounted for & progress is real - 50 structures built, 14,600 jobs created & 171 miles under construction.
🚄Full speed ahead! #CAHSR
Huge win for CA - we've received nearly $3.1 billion from @USDOT & @USDOTFRA! This funding is critical to advancing the nation’s first 220mph HSR system toward passenger service.
🏗️ 119 Miles of Construction
👷♂️ 12K+ Jobs Created
👪 800+ Small Biz Partners
💰 $16B in Econ. Output
Or … it took 3 years, has been done since 2018 and is one of more than 30+ sites being highlighted for #InfrastructureMonth. Facts matter. Here’s where you can find them: buildhsr.com/projects/
We’ve environmentally cleared 422 of the project’s 494 miles!
By this summer, the Palmdale to Burbank section’s environmental document will be considered by our Board.
If approved, we will have completely cleared the 463 miles from downtown SF to LA Union Station. #FactFriday
Ignore the noise. We’re busy building. 🚧
As we enter the track-laying phase, 171 miles are under active construction & we’ve already:
✅ COMPLETED 50 major structures
✅ COMPLETED 60 miles of guideway
✅ COMPLETED full enviro clearance from SF to LA
✅ CREATED 14,600 jobs
We welcome this investigation & look forward to working with federal partners.
CA High-Speed Rail has been audited over 100x, every dollar is accounted for & progress is real - 50 structures built, 14,600 jobs created & 171 miles under construction.
🚄Full speed ahead! #CAHSR
Over a decade and $16B of taxpayer dollars wasted with zero results on this rail project. If protestors want to shout at someone, they should direct their outrage at Governor Newsom and complicit Democrats who have enabled this fraud and waste for a train to nowhere. @USDOT will be investigating.
This article lacks this important context – High-speed rail is the cheapest, most efficient, and environmentally cleanest way to expand California’s transportation infrastructure. Not to mention the jobs and economic benefit it’s already creating today.
More than 15 years after a high-speed rail linking SF and LA was pitched to voters for about $40 billion, state officials say it will cost as much as $35 billion just to connect Bakersfield and Merced, with $100 billion to complete the rest. abc7ne.ws/3Pp55kZ
Check out some of the brand new preliminary interior design renderings of California High-Speed Rail train amenities, including:
☕ Café Car
🍽️ Food Service
🚲 Bike Storage
👪 Family Area
What's your favorite? #BuildHSR
We’ve cleared 422 of the nearly 500 miles of environmental work for the California HSR project!
Later this year, we plan to bring the Palmdale to Burbank section forward for board approval. Once approved, we will have cleared from downtown SF to LA Union Station.
#FactFriday
🚨 Today, the Authority Board of Directors certified the Final EIR/EIS for the San Francisco to San José project section!
This action completes the environmental clearance in NorCal & extends environmental clearance to 420 miles of the 500-mile Phase 1 alignment from SF ↔️ LA!
We just released our shortlist of qualified potential suppliers for California High-Speed Rail’s electrified trains!
The shortlist includes two teams:
@AlstomUSA@SiemensUSA
We look forward to moving this process forward to get high-speed trains here in California.
🚨 Today, we completed the Merced Avenue overcrossing! This is the 7th structure to open in the Central Valley in 2023 & the 3rd structure in the past month!
🛠️ This structure spans 509 feet, 43 feet wide, & takes traffic over SR 43, as well as BNSF & future HSR lines. #BuildHSR
As we took the first step toward buying trainsets this year, you've probably heard our trains will hit top operational speeds of 220mph.
But did you know they'll be designed to go faster than that? The trains we procure will be tested at 242mph in the Central Valley! #FactFriday
🚨 BREAKING 🚨
We received nearly $202 million in CRISI funding from @USDOT / @USDOTFRA to complete six grade separations in the City of Shafter!
We’re extremely thankful to have a dedicated federal partner in @POTUS to deliver the nation’s first #CleanGreenHSR system!
✅ Another milestone for California High-Speed Rail! The Wasco Viaduct is complete!
Nearly 2,000 feet long, this massive structure will carry high-speed trains over BNSF tracks in Kern County—helping connect California’s future. #CAHSR#BuildingTheFuture
We completed one of the last canal realignments in Construction Package 4!
The canal, owned by Semitropic Water Storage District, has now been rerouted into a siphon that passes underneath.
The canal is approximately 12 ft deep, 6 ft wide at the bottom, & 42 ft wide at the top.
🚨 BREAKING 🚨
The Cedar Viaduct in Fresno is now completed! This structure is one of the most significant completed to date.
The 3,700-foot viaduct will take trains traveling at 200+ mph over State Route 99, Cedar, & North Avenues. #BuildHSR
🔗 bit.ly/3LLQIEM
Watch as Brian Kelly, on his last day as Authority CEO, signs the Record of Decision for the Palmdale to Burbank project section, which officially environmentally clears downtown San Francisco to downtown Los Angeles!
✅ The Cedar Viaduct is complete - marking another advancement on the California High-Speed Rail project!
Spanning 3,700 ft. long with 4 stunning arches nearly 40 ft. tall, this structure towers over SR-99 & will help take future HSR trains through Fresno County! 🚄💨
As we move closer to buying trainsets, we're considering multiple seating options for high-speed rail passenger service. Here's a look at a few preliminary seating designs, in order:
💺 Premium
💺 Cocoon
💺 Compartment
💺 Comfort
#FactFriday#BuildHSR
🚨 We just took another critical step toward bringing HSR into operation!
Today, our Board approved the release of a Request for Qualifications to look for a firm to design track & overhead contact systems for the first 171-mile segment connecting Merced, Fresno, & Bakersfield.
The Wasco Viaduct is Construction Package 4’s largest structure. Built by California Rail Builders, the Wasco Viaduct will take future high-speed trains over the BNSF freight tracks and spans nearly 2,000 feet long. #BuildHSR#InfrastructureMonth
This month, we celebrate the progress we continue to make across California’s Central Valley. Learn more about the infrastructure that will transform transportation in the Golden State! #BuildHSR
Today, we completed our ninth Central Valley structure this year and second structure this week!
The Kansas Avenue overcrossing, located west of State Route 43 in Kings County, is now open to traffic.
The overcrossing is 207 feet long and 43 feet wide. #BuildHSR
Check out this quick tour of our preliminary mock-ups of our trainset interiors!
As we move the design process forward, we’ll host mock-up tours for stakeholders & focus groups to provide feedback on what Californians want to see on the nation’s first HSR system. #BuildHSR
California is helping lead the way by building the nation's first high-speed rail system, with top speeds of 220mph.
This project has created 11,000+ jobs so far. We're dispatching around 1,300 workers daily to over 30 active job sites along 119-miles of construction. #BuildHSR
.@SecretaryPete is right. There's no reason we can't deliver the same efficiency & development HSR has created across the globe.
With 119-miles of active construction, CA is in an excellent position to use federal funds to build the nation's 1st 220mph HSR line by decade's end.
🚨 Today, we can announce the opening of two new HSR structures in the Central Valley!
The Adams Ave Grade Separation in Fresno County (pictured below) & the Cairo Ave structure in Kings County are now open to the public.
🔗 More information: bit.ly/3Vh7iim#BuildHSR
California High-Speed Rail progress continues in Kings County! 👏
Spanning 6,330 ft. long, the Hanford Viaduct is the Authority's largest structure in the Central Valley & will bring HSR trains over the San Joaquin Valley Railroad and State Route 198. 🚄💨 #FutureOfTransit
Our recently approved Palmdale - Burbank section has about 30 miles of tunnels!
🌎 Two of the tunnels will be ~12 miles long, some of the longest in the Western Hemisphere
🛤️ The only longer structure will be through the Pacheco Pass in NorCal, clocking in ~13 miles
#FactFriday
284 pre-cast girders have been placed at the Hanford Viaduct. Ironworkers have also been tying rebar for the deck and walls.
Over the last few months, concrete has been placed for the diaphragms, which provide bracing for girders set between each span of columns. #BuildHSR
The CA HSR system will largely be flat in order to hit top operational speeds of 220-mph, but there are a few grades along the route.
🚆The maximum grade on the line from SF - LA is 2.8%.
🏔️The steepest spot is in the Tehachapi Pass, between Bakersfield & Palmdale.
#FactFriday
Today, we opened our eighth Central Valley structure to be completed in 2023!
The Davis Avenue overcrossing is 416 feet long and 32 feet wide. Located between Fowler Avenue and State Route 43, the structure will take traffic over future high-speed rail lines. #BuildHSR
The Authority’s board has approved the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the Palmdale to Burbank Project Section, which will complete environmental clearance from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
hsr.ca.gov/2024/05/24/news-r…
The Authority has issued the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement for the Palmdale to Burbank Project Section, which begins the final step for completing environmental clearance from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
hsr.ca.gov/2024/05/24/news-r…
The California High-Speed Rail project has built 54 major structures with 30 underway, completed 70 miles of guideway, and we're the only high-speed rail program under construction in the country. 🤝🚅
We're building. We're getting it done. #BuildHSR
🔨 Construction is moving forward!
The Conejo Viaduct is taking shape in Fresno County as part of California’s clean, modern high-speed rail system. Step by step, we are building a better transportation future. #CAHSR#Progress
The Tehachapi range will be a complex feat of engineering to route high-speed rail through. Check out this conceptual animation of the approved route through the mountains! This rendering features a single tunnel for both directions. #BuildHSR
More here: ow.ly/U9Yv50OQTvU
#FactFriday - The Palmdale to Burbank HSR section will connect the two cities in 17 minutes, with stops at both ends. That's faster than:
🚗 Driving - About 1 hour with no traffic
🚆 Existing Rail - About 1 & 1/2 hours
Learn more: ow.ly/M54f50Sc4UY
Our Board of Directors has just approved the release of a Request for Proposals from industry for the nation’s first 220mph electrified high-speed rail trains!
This step brings us one step closer to buying trainsets and delivering #CleanGreenHSR.
More: ow.ly/36hO50RewQm
HSR is a once-in-a-lifetime investment in mobility choices.
Do you think those in the miles of red & white lights below, just starting a long trip, might appreciate another option? Which goes 200+ mph? Is 100% renewably powered? Does LA↔️SF in < 3 hours? We think so. #BuildHSR
Thanksgiving travelers are tying up traffic, with cars backed up on the 10 Fwy interchange to the 405 Fwy on Tuesday night ktla.com/news/nationworld/in…
The Road 27 Grade Separation in Madera County was built to take traffic over the existing BNSF and future HSR tracks.
This completed structure improves safety for traffic and pedestrians in the area. It is 636 feet long and more than 43 feet wide. #BuildHSR#InfrastructureMonth
🚨 The Authority Board of Directors just certified the Final EIR/EIS for the San José to Merced project section!
We've now environmentally cleared nearly 400 miles of the 500-mile alignment from SF ↔️ LA.
🔗 More: bit.ly/3KqezqM
📹 Video: bit.ly/3ko1fJ2
This is such a needlessly sensational headline for a story written off a committee hearing, and an example of how bias seeps in.
First, the costs haven’t changed - this was the funding gap to the top end of the estimate for at least a year now. That’s not necessarily news.
Check out these early designs of the family section on California High-Speed Rail trains! You'll be able to save yourself the hassle of loading your kids into the car for a long road-trip. What destinations across California would you take your family to?
#BuildHSR
Check out the early designs of California High-Speed Rail trains' comfort seating! These seats are designed to give you enough space to read a book, enjoy your ride online, or get work done as you travel. #BuildHSR
This year, the TSA expected Thanksgiving travel to be the busiest it has ever been.
Did you know that one round-trip on HSR from SF - LA will avoid 300+ lbs. of CO2 compared to plane/car travel?
That's like recycling ~100 lbs. of waste or saving 15+ gallons of gas! #FactFriday
It's time to unlock the full potential of the Central Valley.
By connecting the Central Valley to SF and LA, CA High-Speed Rail will transform the region by sparking new economic development.
Thanks to @CAgovernor for supporting the Central Valley and this project. #BuildHSR
California High-Speed Rail: Real Progress, Real Jobs, Real Results 🚄
✔50+ major structures complete
✔15,000+ good-paying jobs created
✔The largest clean energy transportation project in the nation
California is proving that we can still build big things in America. #BuildCA
In response to the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA):
Canceling these grants without cause isn’t just wrong, it’s illegal. These are legally binding agreements, and the Authority has met every obligation, as confirmed by repeated federal reviews, as recently as Feb. 2025. 1/2
High-speed rail is happening in California! Thanks to @CAgovernor for the shout-out on @LateNightSeth and @POTUS for historic funding for HSR!
#CleanGreenHSR will transform transportation by connecting SF and LA in under 3 hours at top speeds of 220mph. #BuildHSR
Here are some preliminary concepts for HSR train interiors based on feedback from future riders, including local partners & members of multilingual & disability communities! 🚄💬♿️
🤔 What are you most excited to see? We'll have more at this weekend's @APACalifornia Conference!
As we continue highlighting a structure a day for #InfrastructureMonth, check out the Adams Avenue Grade Separation, which was completed in December 2022!
The 357-foot long structure, built by @DFJV_CP23, takes traffic over the existing railroad and future HSR lines. #BuildHSR
Welcome! Ian Choudri has officially been sworn in as the new CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority! 👏
Choudri brings more than 30 years experience in the transportation sector, including working on high-speed rail projects in France and Spain! 🚄💨 #BuildHSR
Research suggests that high-speed rail is more resilient to climate change than other modes of travel.
California High-Speed Rail has established ambitious resilience criteria to maximize this advantage and address threats from climate change head-on. #FactFriday
We're happy to announce that @metrolosangeles has opened a new overpass at the intersection of Rosecrans and Marquardt Avenues in Santa Fe Springs!
We were proud to help fund this project that eliminated the most dangerous at-grade crossing in the state of California.
A regulation sized Olympic swimming pool is about 164 feet long. In July, we environmentally cleared the final miles between downtown San Francisco and Los Angeles, for a total of 463 miles.
You’d need roughly 14,906 pools end to end to travel those 463 miles! #FactFriday
Avenue 17 Grade Separation update! 🚄💨
Metal decking is going up across the bridge deck & construction will soon be moving on to tying reinforced steel and placing concrete.
This is high-speed rail progress you can see & it's happening now in the Central Valley!
The Authority strongly disagrees with the FRA’s conclusions, which are misguided & do not reflect the substantial progress made.
We remain committed to completing the nation’s first true HSR system & will fully address + correct the record in our response to the FRA’s notice.
This year, @caltrain began fully electrified service, paving the way for high-speed rail in the Bay!
HSR🤝Caltrain
⚡HSR to use existing corridor
⚡51 mi. of track electrified
⚡CAHSRA covered 30% of total project cost
Cheers to the future of fast, green trains! 🚄💨#BuildHSR
#DYK - California High-Speed Rail was awarded over $3.3 billion in funding from @USDOT & @USDOTFRA this year!
In 2023, @POTUS's Administration awarded:
💰 Federal-State Partnership: ~$3.1 Billion
💰 CRISI Grant: ~$202 Million
💰 RAISE Grant: $20 Million
#FactFriday#BuildHSR
High-speed rail will be where the people are! Here's a look at our alignment & the population of the cities we will serve!
✔ The Central Valley is home to nearly 7 million people & HSR will connect them to the rest of CA! 🚄💨
🔗 More info: ow.ly/4eEZ50UviMX#FactFriday
🚨 Following the opening of two structures yesterday, we can announce the opening of another new structure in the Central Valley!
The Fowler Avenue grade separation is now complete and open to traffic. The grade separation spans 299 feet long and 40 feet wide.
#BuildHSR
Here are the early interior design renderings of premium seating for California High-Speed Rail trains! In these seats, you can enjoy comfort, privacy, and extra space while traveling across the state at top speeds of 220mph.
Support is building across California and nationally for the nation's first high-speed rail system! After a year of record progress, now is the perfect time to continue building on that momentum.
Thank you to all our partners for your continued support of this historic project!
How fast is our top design speed of 220mph?
The average football field with no end zones is 300 feet. Travelling at 220mph equals 1,161,600 feet in an hour or 322 feet a second.
Our trains will travel the length of a football field every second at top speed! #FactFriday
Thank you for your continuing support of this project! This grant funding is critical to delivering initial passenger service on the nation's first 220mph, electrified high-speed rail system in the Central Valley. #BuildHSR
FRA grants announced last week by @POTUS are moving our country’s first high-speed rail projects forward. Over $3 billion is going to @CaHSRA to help deliver service with speeds faster than 186mph in California’s Central Valley.
ALT Text-Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Prorgam California Inaugural High-Speed Rail Service Project CALIFORNIA Photo-project site for California High-Speed Rail. Graphic-outline of California map. Investing in America LOGO FRA LOGO
This year, UC Berkeley released a poll showing that, by a 5-3 margin (56% to 35%), voters support the strategy to complete the Central Valley segment then expand to the Bay Area & LA.
California voters demanded #CleanGreenHSR with Prop 1A & that's what we're building. #BuildHSR
As high-speed rail station design moves forward in the Central Valley, we held four open houses - in Merced, Fresno, Hanford, and Bakersfield - to hear from the communities where our stations will be built.
Read what some participants had to say: ow.ly/wS0h50RwmEJ
California High-Speed Rail progress continues with the Central Avenue Grade Separation!
🏗 Upcoming construction includes: installing metal guard rails, and grading & striping the roadway on this 432 ft. long structure!
"It’s really 'build more and go forward.' We will hire a contractor who will start laying tracks next year. We are now about to finish 120 miles of the civil works by the end of 2026. This is the plan." -Authority CEO Ian Choudri
bit.ly/4ojTF1m (@smartcitiesdive)
We know all too well Taylor Swift’s US tour is wrapping. Taylor would be enchanted to take HSR from Santa Clara to LA.
Instead of a treacherous drive, she could have the best day using @Caltrain, HSR, and @metrolosangeles for a swift ride through CA. #FactFriday#IWillRide ✨
Peer into the future of modern rail at the @TransitCenterSF with this interactive art installation - #ThePortalSFtoHSR! 🚄💨
Take a photo & tag us the next time you’re in SF! 📸
We’re applying for new federal funding from @USDOTFRA to advance construction toward Merced, the northern portion of rail line in the Central Valley!
The $450M in CRISI grant funding would help progress this crucial portion of HSR’s 171-mile Central Valley segment. #BuildHSR
🚨🚨🚨
Let’s celebrate! We've created 13,000+ good-paying construction jobs on the nation’s first high-speed rail project.
More than 70% of these jobs have gone to Central Valley residents. Thank you to all the workers making HSR a reality!
#BuildHSR#CaliforniaJobsFirst
Work is moving quickly at Mountain View Avenue in Fresno County! Crews have been working on the deck of the 368-foot long grade separation, which is expected to open this summer. #BuildHSR#InfrastructureMonth
The Avenue 9 overcrossing in @MaderaCounty is now open to traffic! This is our 10th structure to be opened or completed this year.
Located east of State Route 99, the overcrossing will take traffic over future HSR tracks. The structure is 177 ft long & over 66 ft wide. #BuildHSR
Congrats @caltrain for officially launching fully electric service this weekend! 🎉👏🏽
Thanks for bringing high-speed rail infrastructure & for paving the way for high-speed rail in the Bay Area. We are proud to be a funding partner for this project! #BuildHSR 🚄💨⚡️
Did you know the first high-speed rail structure to be completed in Construction Package 4 is the Poso Creek Viaduct?
This structure will take future high-speed trains over the waterway and spans 240 feet long. #BuildHSR#InfrastructureMonth
California has been awarded $6 billion by @WhiteHouse for high-speed rail.
We’re connecting Californians across the state, while creating good jobs and offering affordable, climate-friendly transportation.
✅ COMPLETE: Tulare Street Underpass and Grade Separation in Fresno!
The Authority, alongside local and state leaders, celebrated the completion of the project with a ribbon cutting ceremony in Fresno's Historic Chinatown.
Learn more: hsr.ca.gov/2025/07/31/photo-…#BuildHSR
To date, we've environmentally cleared nearly 300 miles of the 500-mile Phase 1 system connecting SF ↔️ LA.
We're excited to continue that progress in 2022 as we clear more project sections for construction in NorCal & SoCal.
2021 HSR Year In Review: bit.ly/3q8Iyv8
#DYK that 500 miles of high-speed rail track on the East Coast could cover up to 6 states, from New York City to North Carolina? That commute by car can take over 8 hours!
California high-speed rail will close the same distance from SF to LA in under 3 hours! #FactFriday
Drive on State Route 198 through Hanford and you’ll see high-speed rail’s largest structure currently underway.
The Hanford Viaduct is more than 6,330 feet long and connects to the future Kings/Tulare Station in Kings County. #BuildHSR#InfrastructureMonth