California is scheduled to serve its high-speed rail early segment—a 171-mile line between Bakersfield and Merced—as soon as 2032–2033, with stations not fully functional to their capacity as expected, according to the 2026 Business Plan released on Jun. 1.
“As part of the Authority’s cost-saving strategy, early operating segment prioritizes lower capital costs through streamlined station designs, infrastructure choices, and service levels,” reads the business plan.
Stations in Merced, Fresno, Kings/Tulare, and Bakersfield will be designed and built to meet operational needs for initial service of eight daily trains in both directions, according to the plan.
Ten California mayors opposed the Feb. 28 draft 2026 Business Plan for its local funding plan authorizing the High-Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) to “initiate and lead” Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts (EIFD) to capture a portion of the future growth around stations for infrastructure….