(1) Adding the additional 52 miles to the right-of-way (33 miles north to Merced, and 17 miles south to Bakersfield) and launching a 171 mile HSR operable segment between Merced and Bakersfield (linking three high growth areas in the Central Valley). The environmental approvals are completed for both extensions, and work on route acquisition and construction will be performed as funding is available. The Merced station (at the north end) will provide a transfer point to the Altamont_Corridor_Express (ACE) and San_Joaquins (Amtrak) rail routes to Sacramento and the Bay Area (San Francisco and Oakland), and the Bakersfield station (at the south end) will have a transfer to Thruway Bus Service for travel to Southern California.