Bakersfield high-speed rail: HSRA shifts interim station north of 7th Standard Road

On June 1, 2026, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) Board adopted its Final 2026 Business Plan (Resolution HSRA 26-04). In the plan’s technical materials, HSRA’s early/interim Bakersfield station concept is described as being located north of 7th Standard Road, adjacent to the Locally Generated Alternative (LGA)—a shift the City of Bakersfield says it strongly opposes.

What HSRA’s board adopted on June 1

HSRA Resolution HSRA 26-04 adopted the Final 2026 Business Plan (incorporating staff-recommended edits) in a 9-0 vote. The resolution also authorizes the CEO (or designee) to make non-policy revisions and submit the plan to the California Legislature on or before June 1, 2026.

The plan’s interim Bakersfield station: north of 7th Standard Road

HSRA’s Basis of Estimate technical document describes a “temporary Bakersfield station” proposed at 7th Standard Road, directly adjacent to the LGA alignment. In the narrative station summary, HSRA further states that the proposed interim station will be located north of 7th Standard Road on a site adjacent to the LGA.

The same Basis of Estimate explains that the interim location is positioned to be adjacent to, and not blocking, future track alignment that will continue to downtown Bakersfield and Palmdale, protecting the long-term buildout of Phase 1.

How this differs from the downtown-station expectation

For years, Bakersfield’s planning and discussions have centered on a downtown “world-class” station—an idea the City highlights as foundational to its economic development strategy, including walkability and transit connectivity.

Reporting by the Fresno Bee notes that HSRA’s temporary station location is at least 5 miles northwest of the planned permanent station near F Street and Golden State Avenue downtown. The technical materials also describe the interim stop as serving the system’s southern end until the rail extends through Bakersfield to the downtown permanent station as part of Phase I (San Francisco to Anaheim).

City of Bakersfield: “complete lack of consultation” and revenue concerns

In a letter dated April 27, 2026, Mayor Karen K. Goh wrote that the City of Bakersfield strongly opposes the proposed interim station. The City argues the relocation to a peripheral, temporary site represents a significant departure from earlier commitments tied to a downtown station and undermines the credibility of promised benefits.

The City also points to process concerns—describing a sustained lack of meaningful communication with the City between March 2025 and March 2026, and a “complete lack of consultation” with decisions affecting land use, infrastructure, economic development, and community impact.

Beyond station placement, the City says it is “deeply troubled” by emerging legislative concepts it believes could redirect local tax revenues—including funds it describes as critical to police and fire—to address HSRA’s funding gaps.

What to watch next (this is still an interim concept)

This is about HSRA’s adopted business-planning framework and an interim/early station concept—not a final, fully permitted decision on a permanent downtown station location.

Still, where HSRA places an interim stop can shape near-term access and coordination priorities. Residents and businesses may want to watch for follow-on steps beyond the business plan—especially engineering/design updates, land-use coordination, and public engagement where the Authority and local agencies align on how early rail access would connect to local streets and the long-term downtown plan.

Sources

• California High-Speed Rail Authority: Final 2026 Business Plan (PDF)
• Fresno Bee: reporting on the non-downtown Bakersfield 'temporary' station plan