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A lack of federal funding and increased costs are prompting the California High-Speed Rail Authority to search for alternative alignments for the proposed stretch of railway that goes from south of Gilroy to northeast of Los Banos and includes Pacheco Pass. The authority is also seeking public input on potential new alignments.
High-Speed Rail spokesperson Jim Patrick said the current environmentally cleared plan involves 15 miles of tunneling through the Pacheco Pass area, “which is the slowest and most expensive way to construct a rail line.”
Residents of San Benito County and beyond are invited to meetings to learn more about the local G-Y (Gilroy to Central Valley Wye) project segment and its current environmental impact report (EIR), as well as other potential routes.
The first meeting is set for Nov. 4 at 5:30 p.m. at Casa de Fruta.
Another meeting is scheduled for Nov. 5 at 5:30 p.m. at the Los Banos Community Center, and a virtual meeting is planned for Nov. 9 at 5:30 p.m.
According to reports from KMPH and the high-speed rail’s latest business plan, costs of delivering infrastructure have risen to between $126 billion to $231 billion for the first phase of the project.
The initial operating segment of the project, stretching from Merced to Bakersfield, is expected to be completed in 2033, according to the authority. The rail project, which has been beset by massive cost overruns and delays, is ultimately expected to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco, with future extensions planned to San Diego and Sacramento, according to the project website.
With that in mind, Patrick said “the authority is considering alternative ways to deliver the G-Y project segment,” which includes several new possible alignments.
The first, Patrick said, “follows the same horizontal alignment” as the current plan but includes less tunneling.
The second and third alternatives would change the rail to travel south of the San Luis Reservoir via new corridor alignments which he said have not been previously considered and would also require less tunneling than the current plan.
“We will discuss all three routes in detail at the meeting, though we do not have cost information at this time because we have not plotted the specific routes,” he said.
In order to move forward, the team will embark on the completion of several EIRs by “taking input from as many residents, agencies and groups as possible as we consider alignment options.”
Patrick said the question staff is asking is whether time, money or both can be saved by changing the route through Pacheco Pass.
During the public scoping meetings, staff will take input, “go back to the drawing board” and put together specific plans, evaluating everything from noise pollution to finances to time commitment, he said.
According to Patrick, the next step is to put together a draft plan for the public to comment on. He said that is expected to occur this winter.
The final step will be to create a plan that has incorporated all of the feedback and changes suggested so far, which Patrick said the High Speed Rail Authority board will vote on.
He said the current timeline is to release the initial impact review in the first quarter of 2027 and follow that with the final review at the end of 2027.
Attendees are asked to register in advance, if possible. They will be encouraged to share their contact information with meeting staff so “we can follow up with them about future meetings or provide more information.”
Patrick said that “if and when the project advances to the draft EIR stage, there will be more public meetings so we can incorporate feedback in the final EIR.”
The consideration of alternative local High Speed Rail routes comes during a period of wider change in the organization.
On Oct. 29, Ian Choudri resigned from his position as California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO for personal and family reasons. The move came after the board voted to limit Choudri’s spending power in response to questionable travel expenses as reported by the California Office of the Inspector General in September.
Patrick said he cannot speculate on what the new CEO will do or what the impacts of the leadership change will be.
“We’re always evaluating what is best for the project and what the best path forward is, both literally and otherwise,” he said.
New leadership, he said, will almost certainly lead to changes but the project’s managers will continue to evaluate cost and time savings.
Information on the upcoming high speed rail meeting is here.
The BenitoLink Internship Program is a paid, skill-building program that prepares local youth for a professional career. This program is supported by Monterey Peninsula Foundation AT&T Golf Tour and Taylor Farms.
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