Home » Environmental approval now complete for LA-San Francisco high speed route

Environmental approval now complete for LA-San Francisco high speed route

By Trains Staff | July 1, 2024

California high speed authority approves last segment, between Palmdale and Burbank

Map of planned route of California high speed rail line in Southern California
The Palmdale-Burbank segment of the California high speed rail route, as approved by the California High-Speed Rail Authority. CHSRA

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California High Speed Rail Authority has approved the final environmental document for the 38-mile Palmdale-Burbank segment of the project, providing the last environmental clearance needed on the route between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Authority CEO Brian Kelly called the approval, at a meeting of the authority board of directors on June 27, “a major milestone for connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles in less than three hours. It’s also transformational for Los Angeles County, connecting Palmdale to Burbank in a way that’s never been possible before.”

The 38-mile segment will partially follow State Route 14 and will include about 30 miles of tunnels [see “California high speed project seeks $450 million …,” Trains News Wire, May 30, 2024]. Trains traveling up to 220 mph will cover the segment in 17 minutes.

The only segment of Phase I of the project still awaiting environmental clearance is the Los Angeles-Anaheim segment, which is expected to be finalized next year.

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