The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has released the long-anticipated Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIR/EIS) for the 30-mile high-speed rail corridor between Los Angeles and Anaheim. This release represents a key planning milestone for Phase 1 of the statewide system — providing an essential environmental review that sets the stage for future construction decisions and public engagement.

What the Draft Environmental Document Covers

The Draft EIR/EIS, published on December 5, 2025, was developed under both the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). It evaluates potential environmental effects of the proposed high-speed rail section, and it will be publicly available for review and comment through February 3, 2026.

Key project insights include:

Alignment and Extent: The study covers a roughly 30-mile corridor connecting Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS) to the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC). It follows an existing heavy-rail corridor that currently accommodates freight and commuter services.

Communities Along the Route: The alignment passes through several Southern California jurisdictions, including Los Angeles, Vernon, Commerce, Bell, Pico Rivera, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, Buena Park, Fullerton and Anaheim, as well as portions of the unincorporated West Whittier–Los Nietos area of Los Angeles County.

Alternatives Analysed in the Draft EIR/EIS

The environmental document doesn’t simply describe a single project design — it evaluates different alternatives to inform planning decisions:

• No-Project Alternative: A baseline scenario without new high-speed rail improvements.
• Build Alternatives: Two build configurations that use a shared passenger track concept.
• Alternative A includes a light maintenance facility (LMF) at 26th Street.
• Alternative B would locate the maintenance facility at 15th Street.
• The Authority’s preferred option is Shared Passenger Track Alternative A.

In addition, the document explores the feasibility of a single intermediate high-speed rail station at either the Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs Metrolink Station or the Fullerton Metrolink/Amtrak Station, though these are not part of the preferred alternative.

Environmental Scope and Technical Work

A comprehensive environmental review includes multiple technical appendices and supporting studies. These cover topics such as:

• Transportation and mobility impacts
• Air quality and greenhouse gas emissions
• Noise, vibration and community effects
• Biological and water resources
• Geology and seismic considerations
• Hazardous materials and cultural resources

These components inform how construction and operations might affect local ecosystems, neighbourhoods and infrastructure, and they are essential for regulators and stakeholders to assess the project’s potential trade-offs.

Public Engagement & Next Steps

The release of this Draft EIR/EIS initiates a formal public review process, which is a requirement before decisions on project implementation can be made:

• Public Comment Period: December 5, 2025 – February 3, 2026.
• Submission Methods: Electronic forms, email, mail and formal hearings are all available to collect feedback.
• CHSRA will host open houses and hearings to explain the draft documents and respond to questions from the public.

Feedback received during this period will be compiled and used to shape the Final EIR/EIS, which ultimately influences permitting and construction readiness.

Implications for the High-Speed Rail Program

The Los Angeles–Anaheim segment is the southernmost link of California’s Phase 1 high-speed rail system, which is planned to ultimately connect the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California with fast, electric-powered rail service. The recent draft environmental release pushes the project closer to full environmental approval in a critically dense urban corridor — one that also interfaces with multiple existing transit systems and freight operations.

For tunnelling and heavy civil constructors, this environmental step is more than paperwork — it lays out the constraints, opportunities and mitigation requirements that future design and construction phases will need to address. It also signals that Southern California is advancing toward potential ground breaking in the years ahead.02/26.