WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board will consider the request for an exemption allowing construction of a 54-mile high speed line between Palmdale and Apple Valley, Calif., that would connect planned Brightline West (formerly Xpress West) and California High Speed Rail Authority rail lines.
The board, in a Thursday decision, said it will open a proceeding on the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Authority’s request for an exemption that would allow it to build without meeting the board’s prior-approval requirement, as well as an exemption from ongoing regulation.
The authority, with members representing Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, as well as the communities of Apple Valley, Adelanto, Victorville, Lancaster, and Palmdale, would assume the route’s common-carrier obligation but expects it will be operated and maintained by a third part. An environmental impact statement and report for the project, first advanced as part of a larger proposal, is currently under review by the Federal Railroad Administration as well as the STB’s Office of Environmental Analysis.
The board will accept comments on the transportation merits of the proposal through Jan. 10, 22, with reply comments due Feb. 8, 2022.
More information on the authority is available on the Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County websites.
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