California renews environmental review agreement for high-speed rail

Credit: California High-Speed Rail Authority

The California State Transportation Agency and the California High-Speed Rail Authority have announced that they have renewed their agreement with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to continue assuming federal environmental review responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This agreement streamlines decision-making and makes the environmental review process more efficient.

“We are pleased to continue our partnership with the State of California and the California High-Speed Rail Authority on the renewal of this agreement. Initiatives like this are essential to keep the project’s momentum going. California’s high-speed rail project is an important piece of an electrified, high-speed passenger rail network in the western United States that will connect millions of people, provide new economic opportunities and good-paying jobs, and make world-class passenger rail a reality in America,” said FRA Administrator Amit Bose.

Key agreement benefits:

• California’s unique position: It remains the only state with “NEPA Assignment” for rail projects, acting on behalf of the FRA for specific environmental review duties
• Streamlined processes: The agreement reduces review layers, expediting environmental project approvals and saving time
• State leadership support: Governor Gavin Newsom emphasised the importance of this partnership in accelerating infrastructure development, maximising taxpayer dollars and speeding up project timelines.

Under the previous agreement, California’s high-speed rail programme assumed the FRA’s role for final NEPA determinations on key projects like the environmental clearance for the Los Angeles to San Francisco segment. Initially granted in 2019 for five years, the renewed agreement extends the state’s authority for an additional 10 years after a federal performance review.

The authority will continue to serve as the NEPA lead agency for additional locally sponsored railroad projects and maintain its role for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) responsibilities. This agreement will expedite projects such as the Los Angeles to Anaheim high-speed rail section, the Link US project at Los Angeles Union Station and the ACEforward project in Northern California.

The authority has extended its efforts from the initial 119 miles under construction to 171 miles of future electrified high-speed rail from Merced to Bakersfield. With over 25 active construction sites in California’s Central Valley, the project has fully environmentally cleared 463 miles from the Bay Area to downtown Los Angeles.

Since construction began, the project has created over 13,700 construction jobs, primarily benefiting Central Valley residents, with nearly 1,500 workers dispatched daily to high-speed rail construction sites.