Altered Route Recommended For High-Speed Rail Leg

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California high-speed rail officials are recommending a new route for the second leg of the bullet train south of Fresno.

Rail authority officials said Thursday that the board will consider a staff proposal next week to adopt the so-called "Hanford East" alignment for a 114-mile stretch from Fresno to Bakersfield.

The eastern alignment would send trains between Hanford and Visalia, then veer west along an existing freight rail corridor. Rail officials previously recommended that the bullet train go west of Hanford, but Chief Executive Officer Jeff Morales says the eastern route would do less harm to the environment.

Hanford, a city of 55,000 that is 30 miles south of Fresno, is home to some of the most vocal critics of the $68 billion high-speed rail project.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.