California High-Speed Rail Authority Releases Palmdale to Burbank EIS

cahsr top speed central valley

The California High-Speed Rail Authority has released the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Palmdale to Burbank segment. This is the last segment of the San Francisco-Los Angeles route that is awaiting environmental clearance.

“This is a huge milestone for the project and it represents the culmination of years of analysis and stakeholder engagement to connect high-speed rail between two of the state’s major metropolitan centers, San Francisco and Los Angeles,” Kelly said in a press release. “With board approval, the project will have environmental clearance for 463 miles of the Phase 1 system between downtown San Francisco and downtown Los Angeles.”

The segment includes approximately 30 miles of tunneling, with 28 miles of tunneling through the mountains. The final document analyses six potential routes and identifies the preferred alternative as an approximately 38-mile route mostly following State Route 14. 

The EIS will be presented to the CHSRA Board at their June 26-27 meeting. If the Board approves the EIS, the next steps would be to complete final design work and acquire the ROW before construction can begin. 

Read More:

CHSRA Press Release: California High-Speed Rail Clears Path for Major Environmental Clearance

California High Speed Project Seeks $450 Million In Federal Funds

California’s High-Speed Rail Phasing Plan

A map showing the segments of California High Speed rail that are under construction, environmentally cleared and almost environmentally cleared.

The Latest from HSRA

Our Latest Blog Posts

Check out the latest news, updates, and high speed rail insights from our blog!

Our Take on CNN’s Recent HSR Piece

Our Take on CNN’s Recent HSR Piece

CNN recently published a piece about high-speed rail that focuses on three routes: Chicago to New York, San Francisco to Los Angeles, and Atlanta to Orlando. It notes that air travel is a mess and that high-speed trains “would offer Americans an attractive...

Why I Joined the Alliance’s Team

Why I Joined the Alliance’s Team

It's my first Giving Tuesday with the High Speed Rail Alliance, and I'm asking for your help to build a fast, frequent rail network in the U.S. Make your early Giving Tuesday gift today I joined the HSRA team in September 2025, and it’s been amazing to connect with so...

Why Rick Fights for Great Trains

Why Rick Fights for Great Trains

Join me in fighting for vibrant, healthy communities Two recent trips to Elyria, OH reminded me of why I’m in the fight for great trains. Elyria is so typical of so many American cities. A great public square, many of the great, human scale buildings still intact,...