California High-Speed Rail Authority Releases Palmdale to Burbank EIS

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

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California’s High-Speed Rail Phasing Plan