Riverside County awards $80 million contract for Coachella Valley Rail Project environmental study
HDR Engineering will conduct Tier 2 review to advance passenger rail service connecting Los Angeles to the Coachella Valley, including a possible Palm Springs stop.
The Riverside County Transportation Commission (RCTC) on Thursday awarded an $80 million contract to HDR Engineering to conduct a Tier 2 environmental study for the Coachella Valley Rail Project at a meeting held in Cathedral City.
The work advances the long-planned passenger rail project toward construction and includes preparation of an environmental document that meets state and federal regulatory requirements.
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“CV Rail is a vital transportation investment that will connect Riverside County — particularly the San Gorgonio Pass and Coachella Valley — with the rest of Southern California through daily passenger rail service,” said Raymond Gregory, chair of the commission and mayor of Cathedral City.
“This project delivers benefits that will positively impact our region for generations. At its core, CV Rail is all about offering residents, visitors, and commuters better choices and smart alternatives to traveling solely by automobile.”
Gregory said the decision brings the project — which has seen limited movement since fall 2022 — closer to construction.
The proposed service would operate along a 144-mile corridor between Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley, with planned stops at Los Angeles Union Station, Riverside and several Coachella Valley cities, including Palm Springs.
The Tier 2 study will include environmental analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, as well as design and station planning conducted in coordination with Caltrans and other partner agencies.
The commission certified the Final Tier 1 program-level environmental impact statement in July 2022, following release of the report the previous month and a public review period that ran between May and July 2021.
In 2023, the Federal Rail Administration added the project to its Corridor ID program, positioning it to compete for federal funding.
The Tier 2 environmental review will be completed in two phases. Phase 1 will focus on CEQA review, preliminary engineering and station studies. Phase 2 will include additional environmental review and 30% design.
Station locations, funding sources, and the timing for construction and service will be identified through the Tier 2 project-level EIS/EIR. The commission and Caltrans are continuing to pursue funding for the work.
The overall project is expected to exceed $1.5 billion, with service potentially beginning by 2040, depending on funding, final design and construction timelines.
The commission plans to conduct public outreach throughout the process and has received support from federal, state and regional partner agencies for the rail project.
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