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- Merced officials say they have repeatedly asked rail authority for town hall.
- Rail board member says he will work on setting meeting up in Merced.
- Advocates blast rail authority’s plan to change law that promised downtown station.
Merced officials and activists say the California High-Speed Rail Authority has so far failed to face residents and fully explain its plans to build its Merced station in a rural space outside city limits rather than downtown as planned.
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The state agency revealed the idea in January and says it could save $1 billion for the project. Speaking during Wednesday’s rail board meeting, Merced County Supervisor Josh Pedrozo said his constituents “don’t believe it” and that he’s continuously asked the agency to explain the plan to residents directly.
“We can’t get you guys to come and explain this, but you can go to Fresno and speak at Fresno,” Pedrozo said. “You have to go through Merced to get to Fresno. It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
Pedrozo was not alone in his frustration at Wednesday’s meeting, which came two days after rail authority CEO Ian Choudri spoke in Fresno at a Rotary Club luncheon.
Others said the rail authority still has not provided a clear picture of its Merced plans and criticized the agency for pursuing ideas that require changes to state law rather than sticking with the project’s previous promises.
A 2022 state law called SB 198 defines the rail’s Central Valley segment as 171-mile, dual-track line between Bakersfield and downtown Merced. State legislators would have to amend the law for the rail authority to instead build the Merced station off Highway 99 and Mission Avenue — a location that would also shorten the Central Valley segment.
The idea came after the rail authority last August published various, alternative build-out scenarios that did not include Merced at all in the project’s initial phase. Merced officials and advocates have not missed a rail board meeting since .
“Merced County and the city have continued to be a willing partner, but at what cost?” Pedrozo said Wednesday.
‘Groundhog day’ for Merced at rail board
During his public comment at the rail board, Pedrozo said it was like “groundhog day” asking the state agency to send someone to Merced.
“It’s like we’re just continuing to beat our heads against the wall and expect you guys to do something,” he said. “Please come to our community and explain what is going on.”
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Merced Deputy City Manager Frank Quintero followed. He said the city would like the rail authority to participate in an “open house” in Merced next month or early October.
Quintero said, currently, local officials are “standing alone” trying to explain the rail authority’s plans to residents.
“Our desire is not to be an impediment or create delays in your process, but to move and come to terms and find solutions,” he said.
Henry Perea, a rail board member from Fresno, said he would work on setting up a Merced meeting.
CA rail authority criticized for plans to change law
Blanca Ojeda, a Merced advocate with the nonprofit Faith in the Valley, blasted the rail authority for its attempt to change the area’s station location.
“This is not simply a change in location,” Ojeda said during public comment. “It is a change in the vision, the economic opportunity and the level of investment Merced was promised.”
She added SB 198 clearly mandates that Merced’s high-speed rail station be built downtown and have connections to the Altamont Corridor Express and Amtrak Gold Runner train services.
“When did it become acceptable to design a project around changing the law instead of following the law that already exists?” Ojeda said. “Where is the accountability to the people of the Central Valley?”
This story was originally published August 19, 2026 at 2:49 PM with the headline “High-Speed Rail stalling Merced town hall on station plans? ‘Doesn’t make any sense’.”
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