Draft Environmental Study Published for Los Angeles–Anaheim High-Speed Rail

The California High-Speed Rail Authority has released a draft environmental document for the proposed high-speed rail section between Los Angeles and Anaheim.

The document was published on 5 December 2025 and is available for public review and comment until 3 February 2026.

The Draft Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) covers a 30-mile section in Southern California. It has been prepared in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act and the US National Environmental Policy Act. Completion of this process represents the final stage towards full environmental clearance for Phase 1 of the planned 494-mile high-speed rail system linking the San Francisco Bay Area with Los Angeles and Anaheim.

The Los Angeles–Anaheim section forms the southern end of Phase 1. It would connect Los Angeles Union Station with the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center, using an existing rail corridor that currently accommodates both passenger and freight services. The route passes through a number of communities, including Los Angeles, Vernon, Commerce, Bell, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, La Mirada, Buena Park, Fullerton and Anaheim, as well as parts of unincorporated Los Angeles County.

LaDonna DiCamillo, Southern California Regional Director said:

The release of this environmental document represents an important step toward full environmental clearance for Phase I of the full 494-mile statewide high-speed rail system between the Bay Area and Los Angeles/Anaheim. This marks a significant and important milestone in connecting end to end from Southern California to Northern California.

The draft document assesses three options: a No Project Alternative and two build options. Both build options involve shared passenger tracks, differing primarily in the location of a proposed light maintenance facility. Alternative A includes a facility at 26th Street, while Alternative B proposes a site at 15th Street. The Authority has identified Shared Passenger Track Alternative A as its preferred option.

In addition, the Draft EIR/EIS considers, but does not formally include within the preferred option, the potential for one intermediate high-speed rail station. This would involve constructing new platforms and facilities at either the Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs Metrolink Station or the Fullerton Metrolink and Amtrak Station.

Public feedback received during the consultation period will be reviewed by the Authority and will inform subsequent decisions on the project as it progresses towards environmental approval and potential construction.