San José to Merced
The San José to Merced project section is part of the first phase of the California high-speed rail system that will provide a critical rail link between the Silicon Valley and the Central Valley. The approximately 84-mile project section will travel between stations in San José (Diridon Station) and Gilroy and (after passing through the Central Valley Wye) north to Merced or south to Fresno.
The focus of the San José to Merced project section is the area between San José and the Central Valley Wye. The Central Valley Wye is being studied separately as a supplemental environmental document for the Merced to Fresno project section.
This route will travel from Diridon Station in downtown San José, through the Pacheco Pass, to the western limits of the Central Valley Wye, approximately nine miles northeast of Los Banos in Merced County.
The Authority is working to environmentally clear the section between San José and the Central Valley Wye. Options range from a new dedicated high-speed rail corridor between San José and Gilroy to a shared corridor with electrified Caltrain service using the existing rail corridor.
Environmental clearance is scheduled to be completed in 2021. Community engagement activities will continue throughout the process in communities along the corridor.
Section Details
The public review period for the San José to Merced Project Section Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) closed on June 23, 2020. The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) will consider all comments received on the Draft EIR/EIS and respond to substantive comments on the Draft EIR/EIS in the Final EIR/EIS. The Draft EIR/EIS was originally made available for a minimum 45-day public review beginning on April 24, 2020 and ending on June 8, 2020, pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In response to agency and stakeholder requests and in consideration of limitations caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Authority elected to extend the public review period for 15 days to June 23, 2020. View the Draft EIR/EIS.
Please visit the Events Page for more information about engagement activities during the public comment period. Authority staff will provide written responses to all comments received, which will be published in the Final EIR/EIS, scheduled for release in 2021.
Below is a list of open houses and working group meetings we have conducted between fall 2019 and High-speed rail is our opportunity to modernize the Bay Area’s transportation system and leave a positive environmental legacy for our children and grandchildren. The Authority encourages public engagement in California high-speed rail construction and operations, so that the final project reflects the needs and vision of our community as a whole.
We conduct outreach events throughout Northern California, such as Open Houses and Community Working Group meetings, to inform and gather input from local communities, policymakers, and stakeholders. Stakeholders include environmental justice groups, community organizations, city/county staff, neighborhood groups, and California residents.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Authority created an open house website to provide access to information and resources for the Northern California project sections upon the release of the San Francisco to San José and San José Merced Draft Environmental Impact Reports/Environmental Impact Statements (EIRs/EISs). The website is regularly updated as more resources become available. Please visit MeetHSRNorcal.org to learn more.
Below is a list of open houses and working group meetings conducted between fall 2019 and winter 2020. For a listing of upcoming events and outreach opportunities in your area, visit the Events page. Due to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, meeting materials prior to June 2019 can be requested through a Public Records Act request.
November 2020
- Fall Community Working Group Webinar - 11/18
May 2020
- Draft EIR/EIS Open House Q&A Webinars on MeetHSRNorcal.org – 05/11, 05/14, 05/18
- Draft EIR/EIS Public Hearing – 05/27
March 2020
- Spring Community Working Group Meetings
- Morgan Hill-Gilroy - 03/09
- San José - 03/11
August 2019
- Preferred Alternative Open Houses:
- San José - 8/15
- Los Banos - 8/21
- Gilroy - 8/22
July 2019
- Preferred Alternative San José to Merced Community Working Group Meetings:
- Morgan Hill – Gilroy – 7/10
- San José – 7/16
High-speed rail stations are planned for two locations in the San José to Merced Project Section: San José Diridon Station and in Merced located adjacent to State Route 99 and the Union Pacific Rail Road Line.
For more information about individual planned rail stations, please visit the station communities web pages:
Visit the address lookup and interactive online map to find your property in relation to the project alternatives.
Under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the State of California and the federal government both require a proposed infrastructure project to undergo an extensive assessment of the project's potential impacts on the environment.
Below are steps the Authority is taking to deliver the Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS).
The following documents are available for review upon request. The Authority encourages written requests submitted via our Public Records Portal.
- San José to Merced Project Section Supplemental Alternatives Analysis
- San José to Merced Project Section Alternative Analysis
- San José to Merced Project Section Scoping Report
- San José to Merced Project Section Notice of Intent/Notice of Preparation
Please visit the links below to view the latest project section and California High Speed-Rail reports.
If you are interested in inviting the Authority to your community meeting to receive a project update, the team would be happy to coordinate with you.
(800) 455-8166
san.jose_merced@hsr.ca.gov
Visit the Contact Us page to sign up for e-mail alerts and for additional contact information.
Interactive Maps
- Project Sections & Stations of the Project Sections & Stations interactive map
- Construction Activities of the Construction Activities interactive map
- Economic Impacts of the Economic Impacts interactive map
- California Traditional Tribal Territories of the California Traditional Tribal Territories interactive map
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