San Jose to Merced
The San Jose 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 Jose (Diridon Station) and Gilroy and (after passing through the Central Valley Wye) north to Merced or south to Fresno.
The focus of the San Jose to Merced project section is the area between San Jose 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 2020. Community engagement activities will continue throughout the process in communities along the corridor.
Section Details
The California High-Speed Rail Authority is releasing the staff recommendations for the State’s Preferred Alternatives for the high-speed rail routes in Northern California. The Authority has launched a comprehensive outreach campaign through the summer to gather feedback from the public on the staff recommendations for the Authority Board of Directors to consider in making their decisions in September. Major outreach events will include several community working group meetings in July, and six public open houses in August. Input received from the public regarding these routes will be presented to the Authority’s Board of Directors in September for consideration along with the staff recommendations.
In the San Jose to Merced project section, Authority staff recommends Alternative 4 as the State’s Preferred Alternative. Alternative 4 utilizes a blended configuration between San Jose and Gilroy in the existing Union Pacific Railroad corridor before continuing to a dedicated high-speed rail alignment through Pacheco Pass.
The Authority is committed to planning and building a premier high-speed rail system that will keep the traveling public and surrounding communities moving and safe. We are working to develop and deliver the program through effective engagements with local communities, a process that involves nourishing long-term relationships with residents, stakeholders and policymakers. The goal is to foster and encourage community engagement throughout the organization in all aspect of construction and operations.
In conducting outreach events, such as Open House and Community Working Group meetings, the Authority informs the public about all aspects of the program, including the presentation of specific project section plans and key milestones contributing to the first phase of the high-speed rail system.
In 2018, the Authority conducted and participated in over 300 meetings and presentations throughout Northern California, both large and small. The aim was to inform and gather input from city/county staff, neighborhood groups, Community Working Groups (CWG), Technical Working Groups (TWG), and environmental justice populations. In addition, the Authority collaborated with partner agencies throughout the region to further refine the system design and advance the environmental document.
In looking ahead to 2019 and beyond, the Authority will continue to work with community working groups, partner agencies, city and county staff, environmental justice groups and other community organizations to advance the environmental documents in Northern California.
For a listing of upcoming events and outreach opportunities in your area visit the Events page.
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 - land, air, water, minerals, plants, animals and noise - and proposed actions to avoid or mitigate those impacts, if feasible.
Decisions regarding how and where to build the California high-speed rail system are made and justified by using detailed environmental studies and public comments on the potential environmental impacts of the proposed rail system and routes.
To deliver the Final Environmental Impact Report/Statement (EIR/S), below are upcoming key milestone dates for both San Francisco to San Jose and San Jose to Merced project sections (PA indicates the selection of a Preferred Alternative):
The following documents are available for review upon request. Please contact records@hsr.ca.gov.
- San Jose to Merced Project Section Supplemental Alternatives Analysis
- San Jose to Merced Project Section Alternative Analysis
- San Jose to Merced Project Section Scoping Report
- San Jose to Merced Project Section Notice of Intent/Notice of Preparation
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
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Interactive Maps
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