The US High Speed Rail coalition applauded the signing of a memorandum of understanding to advance development of the Southern California High Desert Corridor.
The coalition on July 20 said the signing of the document and project is a critical link in creating a Southwest Regional High-Speed Rail Network.
The memorandum of understanding, between the California High-Speed Rail Authority and the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency, will coordinate environmental approvals, station integration and design, and materials purchases and construction, the coalition stated.
In 2025, the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency selected HDR for design and engineering services for a segment of California’s high-speed rail system between Victorville and Palmdale, the Daily Press reported.
The California train line, between the Victor Valley and Antelope Valley, will span about 54 miles and will connect with Brightline West’s planned high-speed rail project and station in the Victor Valley.
“This MOU marks a major step forward in building a Southwest Regional High-Speed Rail Network that will connect Northern California, Southern California, and Las Vegas,” U.S. High Speed Rail CEO Andy Kunz said. “Travelers will be able to take fast, electric bullet trains throughout the region and avoid freeway congestion, crowded airports, and delayed flights.”
Reducing costs
Cooperation between the two agencies “will reduce costs and accelerate delivery” of the project, a 54-mile route from Palmdale to Victor Valley, according to high speed rail officials.
The Victor Valley to Antelope Valley project will link the California High-Speed Rail Project to Brightline West’s 218-mile high-speed rail line that will connect Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga in Southern California, the coalition said.
The Brightline West project includes a large passenger station in Las Vegas, and on the California side, stations in Apple Valley, Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga.
California High-Speed Rail system
The 494-mile California High-Speed Rail system will connect San Francisco to Los Angeles through the Central Valley. The laying of track will begin this year, according to the US High Speed Rail.
“The Southwest Regional Network will quickly connect urban and rural communities and people to employment hubs,” the coalition stated. “It will spur a boom in new, affordable housing, reduce traffic congestion, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and create thousands of good-paying jobs.”
The coalition’s announcement comes as California’s high-speed rail project continues construction in the Central Valley.
The authority said major segments from Merced to Bakersfield were under design and construction, nearly 90 miles of guideway were complete, 61 major structures were finished and another 30 were underway, according to Newsweek.
The rail agreement followed a separate announcement from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office that nearly $2.5 billion had been allocated for more than 150 transportation projects across California.
Newsom’s office said the funding package included state highway work, public transit, local streets and roads, active transportation and intercity rail projects, and brought the governor’s administration’s transportation allocations for fiscal year 2025-26 to about $13.8 billion, Newsweek stated.
Brightline’s financial situation
The Daily Press reported in May that Brightline’s Florida rail line was facing financial uncertainty, raising concerns for its western high-speed rail project.
A financial report showed Brightline Florida lost over $233 million in 2025, creating “substantial doubt” about its ability to continue operating.
Despite financial issues, construction continues on the Nevada side of the Brightline West rail line connecting Las Vegas and Southern California.
In May, the cost of the Brightline West project had increased to $21.5 billion, and its projected start date had been pushed back to late 2029, the Daily Press reported.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on X @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: California high speed rail plan takes big step in the High Desert
Reporting by Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press | USA TODAY Network
