How many people will ride the California high speed rail?

The 2023 HSRA report projects the full 500-mile system will have 31.3 million riders a year by 2040. If the high-speed rail system averaged 11.5 million people a year paying $86 for a ticket, it would take this many years to break even: 11.5 million people a year is an average of about 31,000 per day.



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California High-Speed Rail Eventually, the system could extend 800 miles to link to Sacramento and San Diego. Supporters say it would cut greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 400,000 cars off the road every year. Notable: This was the first high-speed rail system under construction in the United States.

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A lot cheaper. That high-speed train ticket would cost about $75, compared to more than $200 to fly or drive. Ready to ride?

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Fact: High-speed rail is starting with an initial 171-mile segment that will extend from Merced to Bakersfield. At the same time, we are continuing to move forward with environmental clearance in Northern California and Southern California to get these project sections ready for construction.

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California's high-speed rail (HSR) pencils out to around $200 million per mile for the San Francisco–Los Angeles route.

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The plan to build a high-speed train that will connect Las Vegas with Southern California took another important step this month. The massive transportation project by Brightline could begin as soon as this year, with an estimated completion plotted for around 2027.

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Funding for California high-speed rail has come from the legislative appropriation of state special funds and from federal competitive grants.

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In 2008 when voters approved the bond measure for the train, the cost to connect the 500-mile span would be around $33 billion. Today, the whole 500-mile system would cost a grand total of $128 billion. That price tag has left state officials scratching their heads to bridge that $100 billion funding gap.

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The full cost of high speed rail and highway transportation cost approximately the same; rail costs $0.2350/pkt and highway costs $0.2302/pkt.

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The interstate highway system cost $129 billion — roughly $290 billion in current dollars — and took 35 years to complete, running from 1957 to 1992. The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill enacted in 2021 has $102 billion for rail, but none of the money is set aside for high-speed rail.

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In mid-2026, commence station construction, with completion estimated to be in mid-2028. In mid-2028, first trainset expected to be delivered. In mid-2028, original 119-mile (192 km) segment to be completed. In mid-2029, full IOS 172-mile (277 km) segment to be completed.

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Extending the Interim IOS to connect to the northern and southern metropolitan segments is dependent on future funding, so their timing is uncertain. Maximum train speeds will be about 220 miles per hour (350 km/h) in the dedicated HSR segments and about 110 miles per hour (180 km/h) in the blended segments.

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How long would it take a bullet train to get from New York to California? If it were like the high speed trains in China, it would run around 300 km/hr. It's about 4500 km from LA to NY, so 15 hours, assuming no stops.

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The new Acela will operate at top speeds of 160 mph vs. today's fleet, which operates at top speeds of 150 mph. Amtrak's new Acela fleet is scheduled to enter service on the NEC in 2024.

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Fact: High-speed rail is creating jobs and stimulating California's economy, but that's only part of the story. There are currently over 30 active construction sites spanning 119 miles from north of Fresno to north of Bakersfield, and the 3,700 foot Cedar Viaduct was completed this summer.

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Implementing high-speed rail will keep billions of dollars in the U.S. economy by decreasing the amount of oil that the U.S. consumes. According to the International Association of Railways (UIC), high-speed rail is eight times more energy efficient than airplanes and four times more efficient than automobile use.

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