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Caltrans’ Hydrogen Strategy Goes Down in Flames

Little more than hot air behind Caltrans’ justification for $207 million in unproven hydrogen trains Over the past few years California has demonstrated remarkable coordination across many areas of state government to develop the market for hydrogen, driven largely by ARCHES, California’s hydrogen hub, a public-private partnership run out of the Governor’s office and funded by Biden-era tax credits . In the rail sector, these actions include the now withdrawn In-Use Locomotive Rule, which counted fossil Read more…

By calelectric, ago

Against Patchwork Funding: How Multi-year Investment Frameworks Can Deliver Rail Faster and Cheaper

In order to meet the ambitious service and electrification goals in the State Rail Plan 2050, California will need to seriously re-think the shape and flow of design and capital investment. High-frequency intercity and regional rail service will require more resources but also more stable and predictable investment. To this end, Californians for Electric Rail has published the policy brief Against Patchwork Funding: How Multi-Year Investment Frameworks Can Deliver Rail Infrastructure Cheaper and Faster.  Against Read more…

By calelectric, ago

Californians for Electric Rail Responds to the Governor’s May Budget Revise and Cap and Trade Proposal

Californians for Electric Rail applauds Governor Newsom’s proposal to commit at least $1 B/year of Cap and Trade revenues to California High Speed Rail. Providing a consistent minimum amount of funding will lead to better construction schedules and unlock private financing that will allow the Authority to access more money sooner, cut costs, and get to LA and SF faster. However, in his May Budget, the Governor also proposes large cuts to the Transit and Read more…

By calelectric, ago

Response to errors in February 27, 2025 Guardian article on California High Speed Rail

Response to errors in February 27, 2025 Guardian article: “Trump and California don’t see eye to eye, but critique of high-speed train has many on board” by Andrew Gumbel Brian Yanity, Vice President-South, Rail Passenger Association of California and Nevada (RailPAC) Adriana Rizzo, Co-Founder, Californians for Electric Rail March 17, 2025 It is disappointing that a global news publication like the Guardian, which purports to be a progressive and trustworthy news source on the climate Read more…

By calelectric, ago

What DOT Secretary Duffy has wrong about California High Speed Rail

California High Speed Rail does have cost issues, but it’s not an impossible boondoggle, and slashing funding will not fix things. On Thursday, February 20th, Trump Department of Transportation head Sean Duffy visited Union Station in Los Angeles to announce he will be auditing California High Speed Rail. This audit is clearly a pretext for revoking nearly $4 billion dollars in federal funds delivered by the Biden administration, based on comments by Republican electeds who Read more…

By calelectric, ago

Project Delivery Reform: How Extortion by Corporate 3rd Parties and Poor Design Practices Hold Back Critical Capitol Corridor Improvements in Sacramento

We need to improve project delivery in order to deliver service upgrades to transit riders at an acceptable cost and timeline. One way to achieve this is through service-led planning. The State Rail Plan identifies service-led planning and project delivery of organizational, electronic and concrete improvements as critical to delivering a 2050 vision of 1500 miles of electrified rail, and 15 minute frequencies on many regional rail lines, including from Roseville to Davis on Capitol Read more…

By calelectric, ago

Transit Capital Project Delivery Reforms: Building cleaner, faster, and cheaper

Californians for Electric Rail envisions a California where communities around the state have access to fast, frequent, reliable and clean regional and intercity rail service. To deliver on that vision we need more investment but we also need to get better at building the necessary electrification and other infrastructure. In California, transit infrastructure construction costs are far higher than in other countries with extensive electric rail, such as Spain, Italy, and Turkey, making policymakers afraid Read more…

By calelectric, ago

Victory! Gov. Newsom Signs AB 2503 to Streamline Green Electric Rail

On September 27, 2024 Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 2503, which exempts electric rail projects within existing rights-of-way for passenger service from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  Based on the experience of years of delay via CEQA lawsuit Caltrain experienced and the aborted attempts by other agencies to electrify due to perceived CEQA risk, CER knew that de-risking common sense low impact rail electrification projects was a precondition to achieving its goal. Read more…

By calelectric, ago

Petition: Tell Metrolink board to commit to electrification!

Southern California is falling behind the Bay Area on regional and high speed rail. Sign the petition!   Electrification proposal for Southern California regional rail. Metrolink needs to make it happen. The Bay Area’s Caltrain just debuted its first in the state electric service, powered by proven overhead wire technology, to glowing reviews. These lightweight electric trains serviced by overhead catenary wires will provide fast, reliable, more frequent, quieter and zero emissions service that Gov. Read more…

By calelectric, ago

How Environmental Law Holds Back Cleaner & Better Rail | Part 2: Atherton vs. Caltrain Electrification

Last time, we got an overview of how the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), can affect rail projects in general. In this entry in the series on how CEQA holds back clean, transformative electric rail, we’ll do a deep dive into how CEQA litigation caused serious delays to Caltrain electrification, set to finally open electrified service in late 2024 after numerous setbacks. A Caltrain EMU (electric multiple unit) sits in a yard while undergoing testing, Read more…

By calelectric, ago