Report to Congressional Requesters: California High Speed Passenger Rail

In 2008, California voters approved Proposition 1A, which authorized $9.95 billion in state bond funding for construction of the California highspeed rail system and connection improvements to existing passenger rail systems. Proposition 1A established several requirements for this high-speed rail system, such as that the rail system must be capable of sustained operating speeds of no less than 200 miles per hour, and once built, must operate without a public subsidy. The planned 520-mile highspeed rail system will operate between San Francisco and Los Angeles at speeds up to 220 miles per hour. The Authority is the state entity charged with planning, designing, and constructing the California high-speed rail system.