High-speed rail project that links with Brightline West to Vegas making progress
The High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Agency has selected HDR for design and engineering services for a segment of California's high-speed rail system between Victorville and Palmdale.
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.
The Brightline West project includes 218 miles of track, with a main passenger station in Las Vegas and stops in Apple Valley, Hesperia and Rancho Cucamonga.
In July 2024, High Desert representatives, including Victorville Mayor Elizabeth Becerra, a member of the joint agency, gave their support to the project, the Daily Press reported.
Becerra, along with her fellow board members, signed "landmark agreements" with union labor representatives to construct, operate, and maintain the future multimillion-dollar High Desert Corridor High-Speed Rail Project.
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The east-west High Desert rail corridor will improve connectivity with California's planned high-speed rail network and open access to housing, jobs and cultural opportunities previously out of reach, HDR officials stated.
With proposed speeds of up to 180 miles per hour, the High Desert rail service project will provide a fast connection from a multimodal transportation hub in Los Angeles County's Antelope Valley to the future Brightline West high-speed rail station in San Bernardino County, HDR said.
Eventually, the rail network will connect Southern California to the northern half of the state, Las Vegas and beyond.
'The High Desert Corridor will improve connectivity and accessibility for millions of travelers, generate billions in economic activity, and open new opportunities for the whole region,' said HDR Project Manager Girair Kotchian. 'It's a privilege to be involved with such a momentous project for Southern California.'
Under a five-year contract, the HDR-led team will provide a wide range of engineering services for the authority, including rail design, systems and station integration, operations and maintenance facility design, systems planning, bridge design, right of way coordination, environmental support services, stakeholder coordination, risk management, procurement support, and contract administration, among others.
'Delivering the engineering and advisory services associated with the High Desert Corridor requires a multidisciplinary team that can maximize a broad array of opportunities and tackle diverse challenges with resilience, technical expertise and unwavering focus,' said HDR Global Transit Director Matt Tucker. 'We have an exceptional team gathered with world-class expertise in large-scale transit corridors. This is great news for Southern California and the future of high-speed rail in the United States.'
The Antelope Valley to Victor Valley project is completing environmental documentation and preliminary engineering. Construction of the project is expected in the early 2030s, HDR stated.
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: Victor Valley to Palmdale high-speed rail project hires HDR for design
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