Merced residents discuss job opportunities, timeline during California High-Speed Rail forum

UC Merced student Michel Weng toured Japan last summer, and it was there that he rode the country’s Shinkansen train, a public transportation system built to carry passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph.

In less than three hours, Weng traveled from Tokyo to Kyoto, a journey of about 275 miles, which is about the distance between Merced and Los Angeles.

The California High-Speed Rail plans to make similar trips doable in the Central Valley.

Weng was one of about 100 people who gathered at the Merced Civic Center on Nov. 20, to hear a presentation from the state’s High-Speed Rail Authority, ask questions and, in some instances, get answers about the train’s plans for Merced.

Attendees asked questions about job opportunities, noise pollution, and environmental concerns for the community.

“What jobs can we anticipate for a future generation, or even for some of us who want to go to work once this is constructed and built?” Art Granado, a retired veteran, asked.

Garth Fernandez, the authority’s regional director for the Central Valley, said there will be a need for maintenance, operations, and technical workers once the train is operating.

The project has created more than 14,000 jobs during construction between Kern and Madera counties, according to the authority.

The next phase is to connect Merced with Madera County.

“These are just construction labor numbers that we are tracking.” Fernandez presented a slideshow on the high-speed rail’s progress. “So it depends on where you want to plug yourself in.”

The next step in the timeline is to connect Madera and Merced counties.

As part of that process, the Merced Senior Community Center at 755 W. 15th St., and the county-operated Boys & Girls Club on 615 W. 15th St. have been designated as potential properties needed for the Merced leg of the route.

Merced, Fresno, Tulare and Bakersfield will be the four Central Valley cities to have a high-speed rail station.

Environmental studies will be conducted in the area in the coming months, according to high-speed rail officials.

“Our focus is on trying to get a train running in the Central Valley,” Fernandez said during the forum on Wednesday night. “It is nothing like Amtrak, I can guarantee that.”

The next informational meeting on the high-speed rail in Merced will likely be next spring, authority officials said.

Weng, who is part of a group that promotes walkable cities, said he remains interested in high-speed rail to improve cities and make them more walkable.

This story was originally published November 27, 2024 at 6:00 AM.