California High-Speed Rail Moves Ahead With $2.4 Billion Merced-to-Madera Extension

PUBLISHED June 29, 2026 AT 12:42 PM by Kara Hernandez

A California High-Speed Rail Authority map shows the proposed statewide alignment, including Phase 1 routes, Phase 2 extensions, stations and the Central Valley segment currently under construction.

The $2.4 billion civil works contract would extend high-speed rail work north toward Merced County.

Merced, CA (June 29, 2026) — California’s high-speed rail project is moving closer to construction on the Merced-to-Madera extension after the California High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors approved the next step in a major civil works procurement.

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The Authority announced June 25 that its Board approved issuing a Request for Qualifications for the Merced-to-Madera civil works collaborative design-build contract. The action does not award a construction contract yet, but it begins the process of selecting teams for the next major phase of work north toward Merced County.

The contract is estimated at approximately $2.4 billion and would cover major civil work along the Merced-to-Madera segment, including grading, structure construction and roadway improvements.

According to the Authority, the project includes approximately 30.3 miles of new high-speed rail guideway extending from just south of Mission Avenue in the City of Merced to the southern project interface at Construction Package 1 in Madera County. The corridor runs through Merced and Madera counties and is described by the Authority as a major civil works component of the Central Valley program.

The procurement is expected to begin with a Request for Qualifications in July 2026. Statements of Qualifications are due in November 2026, and the Authority expects to shortlist two qualified teams by December 2026. Those teams would then enter a longer proposal and design-development period before a final award decision. The Authority’s current procurement schedule lists proposals due in October 2027 and a notice of proposed award in November 2027.

Major construction on the new segment is anticipated from late 2027 through 2030.

The Authority said the collaborative design-build process is intended to allow shortlisted teams to work with the project team during development, refine the design, address risks and improve cost and schedule certainty before a final contractor is selected.

The Merced-to-Madera work would build on the 119 miles of high-speed rail construction already underway in the Central Valley. The Authority says 171 miles are currently under design and construction from Merced to Bakersfield.

California High-Speed Rail Authority map shows Construction Package 1, including the planned alignment between Avenue 19 in Madera County and East American Avenue in Fresno County, with station locations in Madera and Fresno.

The project scope includes guideway construction, grading, embankments, bridge and aerial structures, roadway modifications, grade separations, drainage and floodplain improvements, animal crossings, irrigation facilities, utility coordination and other related civil infrastructure.

The Merced-to-Madera alignment is divided into three segments: a north segment beginning just south of Mission Avenue and extending south of Dutchman Creek, a wye segment southwest of Chowchilla, and a south segment extending to the interface with Construction Package 1 in Madera County.

The Authority also said the Board received an update on the Cal CLEAN Partnership Agreement, a proposed public-private partnership focused on securing clean power for future high-speed rail operations. Statements of Qualifications for that effort are expected this summer, with a recommended partner expected in August and an initial project identification agreement targeted for September 2026.

The Authority says the wider high-speed rail program has completed more than 80 miles of guideway and 61 major structures, with 30 more structures under construction across Madera, Fresno, Kings and Tulare counties.

The statewide project continues to face public attention over cost, timeline and delivery, but the latest procurement action marks a formal step toward extending active construction north into the Merced-to-Madera portion of the Central Valley line..

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California High-Speed Rail Moves Ahead With $2.4 Billion Merced-to-Madera Extension

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