Madera to Merced High-Speed Rail Extension

planned

The California High-Speed Rail Authority is requesting $396 million in federal funds to cover 80% of a $494.8 million project to extend high-speed rail from Madera to Merced. The funding will pay for final design and utility relocation work, preparing the corridor for future high-speed rail construction. The extension will connect to the 119-mile Central Valley segment already under construction and eventually become part of the planned San Francisco-to-Los Angeles high-speed rail line. The project aims to improve travel times, safety, and regional connectivity, including cutting Merced-to-Madera travel time roughly in half and eliminating six at-grade rail crossings. Environmental approvals under CEQA and NEPA are complete, and the project is ready to move into final design, with work beginning as early as 2027 and wrapping up around 2030.