California Rail Authority Applies for $396 Million Federal Grant

The California High-Speed Rail Authority applied for a $396 million federal grant to build 30 miles of track between Madera and Merced. The application was submitted to a Federal Railroad Administration program that supports rail modernization projects.

The requested amount would be paired with $99 million from the state's cap-and-trade program, bringing the total cost of the segment to $495 million. Officials said the extension would improve safety, reliability, and travel times for Central Valley communities.

Construction on the rail line began in 2015.

The original plan called for service between the Bay Area and Los Angeles, but costs have risen above $200 billion according to some estimates, while the rail authority lists a reassessed figure of $126.3 billion. California has covered more than 80 percent of the $15 billion spent on the project to date. The authority has stated that federal partnership remains part of its long-term approach.

The current grant request follows the withdrawal of $4 billion in previously allocated federal funds. Rail authority CEO Ian Choudri told the Fresno Bee in June that the authority seeks continued federal cooperation on the project. "We do want a federal partnership," Choudri said. "I invite our federal partners to come and see, and then work with us, collaborate with us."