California High-Speed Rail (also known as CAHSR or CHSR) is a publicly funded high-speed rail system currently under construction in California in the United States. In 1996 the California Legislature and Governor Pete Wilson established the California High-Speed Rail Authority with the task of creating a plan for the system, and then presenting it to the voters of the state for approval. In 2008 voters approved the plan as specified in Proposition 1A, with a route connecting all the major population centers of the state, authorized bonds for beginning implementation, and establishing other requirements. The CAHSR system is currently being implemented in phased segments. The first of the dedicated HSR segments, the Interim Initial Operating Segment ("Interim IOS"), is being constructed now in the San Joaquin Valley portion of California's Central Valley. It will run from Merced to Bakersfield, and is planned to begin operations in 2029. Concurrently, in the major metropolitan areas of San Francisco Bay Area and Greater Los Angeles, the commuter rail systems are being upgraded for improved safety and service, and to support a "blended system" in the future with CAHSR sharing upgraded tracks, power, train control, and stations. Extending the Interim IOS to connect to the northern and southern metropolitan segments is dependent on future funding, so their timing is uncertain. Maximum train speeds will be about in the dedicated HSR segments, and about in the blended segments. Once the full Phase 1 system opens, the nonstop trains between San Francisco and Los Angeles – which are about apart by air – must not exceed 2 hours and 40 minutes travel time. The high-speed rail system is anticipated to provide environmental benefits (reducing pollution and carbon emissions), traffic benefits (improving passenger travel, and reducing vehicular traffic and air travel congestion), and economic benefits (especially in the Central Valley). The implementation of the project has been controversial due to its selected route, management, delays in land acquisition and construction, cost over-runs, and inadequate funding for finishing the entire system. Current status and plans By 2022 there had been some significant concern about the slow pace of the project and its increasing costs. In June 2022 Governor Newsom pushed for the release of the last of the Proposition 1A bond funds in order to get an operating system working in the Central Valley. In concert with this, SB 198 was signed into law. It requires the Authority