If completed, the High-Speed Rail would run through San Benito County through the Pacheco Pass, connecting the Central Valley with Gilroy. Photos courtesy of the High-Speed Rail Authority.
If completed, the High-Speed Rail would run through San Benito County through the Pacheco Pass, connecting the Central Valley with Gilroy. Photos courtesy of the High-Speed Rail Authority.

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Since its conception, the bullet train meant to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco was never planned to stop in Hollister, or anywhere else in San Benito County. The proposed line would skim the county’s northern border through Pacheco Pass, and traverse through valuable land but no station has been planned for here.

Still, the High-Speed Rail, already nearly 30 years in the making, would reshape the county’s transportation future if and when it’s completed, according to the state High-Speed Rail Authority, the agency leading the multibillion-dollar project.

High Speed Rail Authority Communications Program Manager Van Tieu told BenitoLink that residents would see indirect benefits: less long-distance driving in the county and some regional economic growth the train is expected to bring.

San Benito County transportation official Binu Abraham said the rail could have a significant impact on the area, and local officials should be involved in the planning process. 

Under the current plan, the nearest stop would be in Gilroy, which San Benito residents could reach by taking the San Benito County Express, the bus line currently linking Hollister and San Juan Bautista to Gilroy. From there, they could take the train to San Jose, Millbrae, San Francisco, the Central Valley, Southern California—even Las Vegas—if the project is ever completed. 

All this could occur with much shorter travel times and fewer emissions, according to Tieu.

“The California High-Speed Rail is not just a train that gets people from point A to B,” Tieu said. “It is the largest economic development project in two continents and the largest, greenest infrastructure project in the country. It offers housing solutions, transforms California’s energy dependency, and reduces carbon emissions.”

Initially, the bullet train was to run north from Merced through Modesto and enter the Bay Area via the Altamont Pass, not passing through San Benito County. But in 2007, after lobbying from Silicon Valley businesses and the city of San Jose, the authority chose Pacheco Pass instead.

The High Speed Rail has been in the spotlight in recent months. In July, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy called it a “boondoggle” and, with the approval of President Donald Trump, withdrew $4 billion in federal funding. The authority responded by suing the federal government, and Gov. Gavin Newsom denounced the federal move as “yet another political stunt to punish California.”

Newsom, however, doubled down on the project, setting aside $1 billion a year for high-speed rail in the state budget through 2045.

Behind the political dispute are years of delays which have dramatically increased costs. What voters approved as a $33 billion plan for the project’s first phase in 2008 is now estimated to cost more than $100 billion, depending on the scope. 

Today, the authority is considering whether to stick with the Merced–Bakersfield stretch—already under construction—or to extend north to Gilroy and south to Palmdale, which would then connect through local transit to San Francisco and Los Angeles. 

A render of what the High-Speed Rail would look like once completed. Photo courtesy of the High-Speed Rail Authority.

Agency officials have indicated they hope that the $43 billion already secured in public funding will attract private sector investment to reach the $100 billion-plus required to complete the project. Those funds, Tieu said, “will also set the pace for construction of extensions of the system north to Gilroy and south to Palmdale.”

If the line reaches Gilroy, its effects are expected to ripple into San Benito County. 

By 2040, the authority projects the train will reduce driving in San Benito County by 170 million vehicle miles annually, which is about 20% of the driving expected that year and roughly a quarter of current traffic levels, based on the latest California Public Road Data. 

Those estimates, however, come from the 2022 environmental review, which still assumed a line linking San Francisco to Los Angeles.

Because no station is planned in the county, those reductions wouldn’t come from fewer local trips. Since expanding local transit depends on local agencies—such as the San Benito County Local Transportation Authority or the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)—the current plan assumes those will stay the same. 

This means residents traveling, let’s say, from San Juan Bautista to Hollister would still be in their cars. What would change, according to the project’s environmental review, is the number of longer trips that traverse the county through Highways 25, 101, and 156.

“The authority expects a large drop in vehicle miles driven because residents will choose to ride trains to San Francisco and Los Angeles,” Tieu said. “But also people from other counties who were previously driving through San Benito will instead be riding high-speed rail trains to their destinations.”

The environmental review doesn’t specify where those travelers would come from—only that Highways 25,101, and 156 are operating near “failure” during rush hour and that congestion would only worsen without the train. 

Abraham, who serves as executive director of the San Benito County Council of Governments, told BenitoLink that the connection through Gilroy can bring new opportunities for the county, both in terms of jobs and economic growth. She also said her agency is working to make sure the county “has a seat at the table” as the planning of the bullet train advances.

“We’re focused on building meaningful connections between this statewide project and our local transportation network,” Abraham said, “so that our residents can fully benefit from the opportunities it brings.”

The High Speed Rail Authority also claims that San Benito County residents would benefit from the rail’s economic impacts. 

Studies in Europe and Asia have shown that high-speed rail promotes the creation of new businesses and innovation. “Regions with high-speed rail often see job creation, increased business activity, greater housing and development investment near stations, and stronger connections between cities and labor markets,” Tieu said. “High-speed rail can serve as a powerful catalyst for economic growth and long-term competitiveness.”

A recent study in China—where more than 23,000 miles of high-speed rail have been built since 2008—found that the economic benefits of bullet trains spill over into neighboring communities. 

However, the researchers also found that economic growth is stronger in cities with direct access to high-speed rail than it is in rural areas like San Benito County, which tend to see more modest gains.

In its plan to reach Gilroy, the authority worked with the city and the VTA on a study published in October. The study evaluates land use, public spaces, economic development, mobility and urban design for a glimpse into what the closest high-speed rail station to San Benito County would look like. 

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