Report Prepared by: Frank Quintero, Deputy City Manager
Title
SUBJECT: California High-Speed Rail Project Merced Station Update to Council and Continued Discussion
REPORT IN BRIEF
City Council will re-consider the conceptual relocation of the Downtown High-Speed Rail Station to Southeast Merced, and staff is requesting authorization to submit a letter to the High-Speed Rail Authority.
RECOMMENDATION
City Council - Adopt a motion:
A. Approving conceptual support of the High-Speed Rail Authority’s recommendation to move the Merced High-Speed Rail Station to the vicinity of Mission Ave. and State Highway 99, subject to good faith negotiations with the California High-Speed Rail Authority on issues identified by the Council; and,
B. Authorizing the City Manager to send a letter to the California High-Speed Rail Authority expressing conceptual support of the High-Speed Rail Merced station relocation on behalf of the City of Merced.
Body
ALTERNATIVES
1. Approve, as recommended by staff; or,
2. Approve, subject to conditions other than as recommended by staff; or,
3. Deny; or,
4. Continue to a future meeting.
AUTHORITY
Charter of the City of Merced, Section 200, et seq.
CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES
FY 2025-2026 Budget Tab 7, Economic Development and Airport, Objective #3, “Coordinate High Speed Rail, ACE Train MITC, and other projects that may serve as economic engines in Downtown Merced.”
DISCUSSION
Past Council Action
At the January 12, 2026, City Council meeting, representatives from the California High-Speed Rail team provided an update to the Council regarding the Merced Station Project. At the conclusion of discussion amongst Councilmembers, staff and California High-Speed Rail representatives, the Council passed a motion directing the Council Transportation Committee to further meet with our County partners and the California High-Speed Rail Authority, along with City staff to consider the issues discussed and with a goal of coming back with a more crystalized proposal for Council consideration.
Background
As discussed in greater detail in the attached High-Speed Rail Background Paper, the City of Merced (“Merced”) has been an active participant in the High-Speed Rail process (ATTACHMENT 1). For more than a decade, Merced has supported, planned around, and anticipated the building of the Merced High- Speed Rail Station. In its most recent August 2025 High-Speed Rail Authority Supplemental Project Update Report, the Authority affirmed its commitment to locating a station in Merced but suggested changing the location from the downtown area to a Southeast Merced location.
Since August 2025, Merced, along with our partners, has attended seven meetings with Authority staff and High-Speed Rail Board members. The most recent public meeting occurred with the Merced City Council on January 12, 2026. A consistent theme of conceptual support from Merced for the location of a rail station within Merced city limits has always and continues to be expressed. Merced and our partners want to achieve the goal of ensuring the City of Merced has a High-Speed Rail station within Merced city limits and understands the Authority’s motivation to consider moving the Merced station location as outlined in the August 2025 Supplemental Update. To that end, and without undermining Merced’s conceptual support of the Merced High-Speed Rail station relocation, the Merced Transportation Committee and city staff continue to work through issues, including but not limited to, the following:
• Mission Avenue
• Fire Station
• Annexation procedures
• Campus Parkway
• Timeline
• Transit last mile connections
• Senate Bill 198 commitments
• Station design
• Infrastructure to support development in the area of the station’s location
In order to continue forward progress with the Authority and provide additional time and space for productive conversations to occur that address the issues listed above, it is staff’s recommendation that the Council adopt this motion and authorize the City Manager to send a letter expressing Merced’s conceptual support of the High-Speed Rail Merced Station relocation while staff and the Authority clarify the details of this proposal.
The DRAFT letter addressed to the High-Speed Rail Authority is included as Attachment 2.
The Chief Administrative Officer for the County of Merced and City Manager for the City of Merced agreed to arrange a meeting of key staff members to jointly identify and create of list of issues such as infrastructure, public facilities, and other improvements that may be required to relocate the High-Speed Rail station. The list will be used as the mechanism for follow-up discussions with the High-Speed Rail Authority.
Proposed Action:
Adopt a motion approving conceptual support of the High-Speed Rail Authority’s recommendation to move the Merced High-Speed Rail Station to the vicinity of Mission Avenue and State Highway 99, running along the Union Pacific Railroad, subject to good faith negotiations with the California High-Speed Rail Authority on the issues enumerated above, and authorize the City Manager to send a letter to the California High-Speed Rail Authority expressing this conceptual support on behalf of the City Council of the City of Merced.
ATTACHMENTS
1. High-Speed Rail Background Paper
2. DRAFT Letter to the High-Speed Rail Authority