-January 7,2020-
The Visalia City Council backed a request on a 3 to 2 vote to send a letter to the California High Speed Rail Authority supporting the pursuit of a Merced- Fresno-Bakersfield interim operating segment including the Tulare-Kings stop.
The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission requested that the Visalia City Council join over 35 other organizations and elected officials in sending a letter of support to the CHSRA who will be meeting January 14, 2020 to consider the interim operating segment.
The benefits of the plan include
• Provide much faster, more frequent and more reliable passenger rail service than is currently available in this corridor;
• Reduce travel times for rail passengers between Sacramento and the Bay Area to Bakersfield by up to 90 to 100 minutes;
• Enhance connectivity and accessibility to other passenger rail services;
• Provide the highest ridership and revenue potential of any Central Valley option;
• Improve air quality in the Central Valley by shifting from diesel to clean, electrically powered trains;
• Provide an overall infrastructure configuration offering significant benefits to both passenger and freight movement
• Allow for early testing of high-speed operations and passenger use and reduces ramp- up time for future extensions.
Mr. Leavitt also offered that there an effort from the Southern California area to take the $5 billion in funding for this project away from the San Joaquin Valley.
While there has been skepticism about whether the current high speed rail will be fully realized in California, there has also been discussion that the rail line already in progress could be utilized to improve rail service in the San Joaquin Valley, and therefore could still provide benefit to this area, especially if the Tulare/Kings stop is included. Probably the greatest disadvantage would be to have the improvements realized without that stop, which would literally bypass this two county area says a staff report. The train is expected too begin operation in 2028.
The vote was Greg Collins,Bob Link and Steve Nelsen in favor and Brian Poochigian and Phil Cox opposing.
Also in favor of the plan are the City of Fresno, City of Modesto, City of Merced, City of Riverbank,City of Selma and City of Sacramento.
In the south Valley still pending is City of Tulare and Hanford, Kern COG and City of Bakersfield.