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SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Dr. Joaquin Arambula today said he’s greatly encouraged by a recommendation today that the California High-Speed Rail Authority move forward with more detailed evaluations for two potential sites for a Central Valley Heavy Maintenance Facility – in Fresno and in Hanford.
The recommendation will go before the California High-Speed Rail Authority Board for a decision at a future date.
The maintenance facility will be crucial to the operation of the State’s high-speed rail system, which currently has 119 miles of active construction underway in Fresno, Madera, Tulare, Kings, and Kern counties. The maintenance facility will be a state-of-the-art operation requiring specialist technicians-machinists, electronic technicians/welders, office engineers, maintenance staff, train preparation staff, and support staff.
Assemblymember Arambula, a former ex-officio board member for the HSR Authority, said: “I’m excited that the Fresno and Hanford locations have been recommended as potential sites and will move forward in this important process. As a longtime advocate for high-speed rail in California, this project is a priority for me. It will ensure good-paying jobs that will help grow and strengthen our economy in the Central Valley. And, high-speed rail will be transformative, connecting California as never before – and the heart of it will run through Fresno and the Central Valley.”
The Fresno and Hanford sites were recommended following an evaluation that included technical, operational, and environmental criteria. The next step will be a detailed evaluation in the project-level California Environmental Quality Act/National Environmental Policy Act review.
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