Bakersfield station (California High-Speed Rail)

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Bakersfield
General information
LocationGolden State Avenue
Bakersfield, California
Coordinates35°23′26″N 119°01′20″W / 35.390655°N 119.022328°W / 35.390655; -119.022328
Owned byCalifornia High-Speed Rail Authority
History
Opening2030; 6 years' time (2030)
Services
Preceding station California High-Speed Rail Following station
Kings–Tulare
towards Merced
 Phase I
Central Valley Segment
 Terminus
Kings–Tulare
towards Merced or San Francisco 4th and King Street
 Phase I
(2033)
 Palmdale
towards Anaheim
Location
Map

Bakersfield station is a proposed California High-Speed Rail station in Bakersfield, California, United States. The station is part of the initial construction segment.

History

The initial 2005 environmental impact report for the system considered two general alignments for the Fresno to Bakersfield segment: one following the BNSF Railway right-of-way down the center of the Central Valley, and another following the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way farther to the east. The BNSF alignment was chosen because it avoided urban areas, making it less expensive and having fewer constructibility concerns. The preferred Bakersfield station option co-located it with the existing Bakersfield station at Truxtun Avenue due to its central location and connectivity with existing transportation.[1] The city of Bakersfield had endorsed the Truxtun Avenue station location in 2003, but reversed its position in 2011 to oppose the High-Speed Rail project[2] due to concerns on the impact to new facilities and revitalization to the downtown area that had occurred in the interim.[3]

The environmental impact report for the Fresno to Bakersfield segment was approved in May 2014 by the California High-Speed Rail Authority,[4] preserving the BNSF Railway alignment and Truxtun Avenue station location. Construction of this alignment would have impacted 526 structures, including 231 residences.[5] The city of Bakersfield filed a lawsuit in June 2014 opposing this alignment. The lawsuit was settled in December 2014 with an agreement to instead adopt a "locally generated alignment" that uses the alignment of the slightly-farther-north Union Pacific Railroad, stopping at a new station near the intersection of F Street and Golden State Avenue.[4] The new alignment is 1.3 miles (2.1 km) shorter, and its construction would be much less disruptive, impacting only 150 buildings, almost all of which are non-residential.[5]

This change, along with an ongoing lawsuit with the nearby city of Shafter, California, caused the southernmost 8 miles (13 km) of the Initial Construction Segment to be delayed and not included as part of the first package of construction bids.[6] A station planning agreement with the city was announced on September 15, 2015.[7]

In February 2016, the California High-Speed Rail Authority's draft business plan stated that the funding on hand would only allow construction of the segment from San Jose to just northwest of Shafter, raising the possibility that a temporary station might be built near Shafter, 23 miles north of Bakersfield, if additional funds could not be obtained.[8][9] The April 2016 revisions to the plan cut back the initial construction segment to Wasco, 30 miles north of Bakersfield, given its better connectivity to existing transportation.[10][11]

As of December 2019, an elevated station design was being planned for the Bakersfield station.[12]

References

  1. ^ "California High-Speed Train Final Program EIR/EIS: Preferred HST Alignment & Station Locations" (PDF). California High-Speed Rail Authority. August 2005. pp. 16–17. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  2. ^ "California High-Speed Train Project Final EIR/EIS, Fresno to Bakersfield Section: Alternatives" (PDF). California High-Speed Rail Authority. May 2011. p. 30. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  3. ^ Douglas, Theo (May 26, 2014). "How the council changed course on bullet train". The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Bakersfield F Street Station Alignment (BFSSA) Fact Sheet" (PDF). California High-Speed Rail Authority. Summer 2015. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Cox, John (August 4, 2015). "Alternate high-speed rail route through Bakersfield ready for public inspection". The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  6. ^ Weikel, Dan; Vartabedian, Ralph (June 8, 2015). "First phase of bullet train is cut due to Bakersfield, Shafter disputes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
  7. ^ "California High-Speed Rail Authority Enters into Station Planning Agreement with City of Bakersfield". ABC 23. September 15, 2015. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  8. ^ Cox, John (February 19, 2016). "Latest high-speed rail shocker: Build the Bakersfield station in Shafter". The Bakersfield Californian. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  9. ^ Ferguson, Carol (February 22, 2016). "High-speed rail seeking fed money to extend 1st phase to Bakersfield". Bakersfield Now. Retrieved February 25, 2016.
  10. ^ Associated Press (April 21, 2016). "California High-Speed Rail Officials Tinker With Plans". Capital Public Radio. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  11. ^ Herbets, Adam (April 22, 2016). "People in Bakersfield feel cut out of High-Speed Rail Authority's new plan". Bakersfield Now. KBAK. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  12. ^ Lindt, John (December 11, 2019). "Kings-Tulare HSR station platform construction to start". The Sun-Gazette Newspaper. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
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