First route for California bullet trains approved

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The California High Speed Rail Authority's board approved on Wednesday a siting plan for the main route of a bullet train they envision for the state should voters in November back a $9.95 billion bond to launch the $40 billion system.

San Francisco would mark the northern terminus and Anaheim, south of Los Angeles, would be its last Southern California stop, said Rod Diridon, a member of the authority's board and executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute.

The route would link San Francisco to nearby San Jose and then cross into the Central Valley, including by tunnel, to connect with Merced, Fresno and Bakersfield, Diridon told Reuters by phone.

Additional tunnels would be needed in mountains near the Los Angeles area. The route would stop in Los Angeles at its downtown Union Station before proceeding to Anaheim.

Later extensions could link Merced to the state capital of Sacramento and Los Angeles to San Diego.

"A major advantage is they are downtown to downtown," Diridon said, referring to planned stops for the main route.

The decade-old authority's ballot measure has been postponed over the past few election cycles because California officials instead rallied behind multibillion-dollar bond measures to raise cash for the state to plug its budget shortfall and finance new public works, including roads.

If voters approve the general obligation bond measure in November to initially fund the high-speed rail system, its authority will still require additional funding.

Federal funds, public-private partnerships and possibly local government investment could help fund the system, which is expected to take about a decade to build.

(Reporting by Jim Christie; Editing by Braden Reddall)