One of the largest, most ambitious public transportation programs in U.S. history, the California high-speed rail system will allow passengers to travel from Los Angeles and Anaheim to San Francisco at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour (and, eventually, will extend to Sacramento and San Diego, totaling 800 miles with up to 24 stations), making the trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles under three hours, compared to upwards of six to eight hours by automobile. The system will connect California’s megaregions, contribute to economic development and opportunity, support the state’s climate change policies and initiatives, and preserve agricultural and protected lands.

Using federal and state funds, including state cap and trade auction proceeds, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) has 119 miles of high-speed rail civil infrastructure under construction. This segment will serve as the nation’s first high-speed rail test track.

The Authority is also working with state and regional partners on implementing the California State Rail Plan, which presents a vision for a modern, integrated statewide passenger rail system connecting all urban, suburban and rural communities with frequent, reliable service. California high-speed rail is the backbone of the California State Rail Plan and is central to the state’s mobility and climate policies.

WSP has been working with state staff to help shape high-speed rail in California from the earliest feasibility studies in the 1990s to planning for future operations. Most recently, as the Authority’s rail delivery partner (RDP) for the 500-mile Phase 1 system linking the Bay Area with the Los Angeles Basin, which includes planning and preliminary design to supporting project delivery.

The RDP role builds on WSP’s previous work as the Authority’s program management team. In this earlier role, WSP coordinated the activities of more than 35 subconsultants, prepared the statewide program-level Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Impact Statement, and produced the full suite of technical memoranda comprising 130 program-wide technical guidance documents; technical requirements; a 1,400-page design criteria manual; and standards and directives that will define the high-speed train system in California and will assist the Federal Railroad Administration in defining standards and regulations for the U.S. market.

As the rail delivery partner for the Authority, WSP is responsible for assisting the state in their effort to move the California high-speed rail project from the earliest design phase to future operation. WSP has helped lay the foundation for the first 119 miles of the system and has been integral in advancing development of the full 500 miles that will eventually make up the system.

The program delivery strategy proposes to initiate high-speed rail service in California as soon as possible, to make concurrent investments that will be linked over time and to be ready to construct segments as funding becomes available. This allows for moving multiple segments forward concurrently and connecting the high-speed rail system with other existing and planned rail and transportation networks across the state. Coordination across these segments and technical systems integration will become increasingly complex and important.

The California high-speed rail system is the first truly high-speed rail system to be planned, designed and built in the nation. In taking on this challenge, the Authority broke new ground and will continue to set precedents for other high-speed rail systems in the U.S.

By way of example, the Authority is committed to its goal of creating the greenest infrastructure project in the nation, both in its operations and its construction. The Authority received national recognition in December 2020 for the program’s sustainability efforts. The Envision Platinum rating was awarded by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, a non-profit organization founded by the American Public Works Association, the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Council of Engineering Companies. The California high-speed rail project is the largest transportation infrastructure project both in terms of capital investment and geographic area to earn an Envision award for sustainable infrastructure to date.

The magnitude of the project presents atypical challenges compared to other complex infrastructure projects, including:

• Funding and financing
• Environmental clearances
• Right-of-Way acquisition
• Long, deep tunnels through seismic areas 

Implementation of high-speed rail in California will connect the state with a modern, integrated statewide rail system and:

• Establish vital new economic links between California’s economic megaregions
• Create employment and educational opportunities for Californians
• Improve air quality and support the state’s climate change initiatives
• Preserve agricultural land, protect the environment and promote sustainable communities
• Create an opportunity to use the dedicated high-speed rail corridor to achieve broader public benefits