High-speed rail holds open houses in Kings, Tulare counties

Residents in Kings and Tulare counties can learn more about high-speed rail construction plans through their areas this week and next at a series of open-house meetings by the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

The rail authority’s Construction Package 2-3 spans more than 60 miles from the south end of Fresno to about one mile north of the Tulare-Kern line. The route generally runs along or near the BNSF Railway freight tracks, through or near the communities of Hanford, Corcoran and Allensworth, where the open-house meetings are planned.

The sessions are:

▪ Hanford: 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Hanford Civic Auditorium, 400 N. Douty St., Suite B.

▪ Corcoran: 4 to 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Veterans Memorial Building, 1000 Van Dorsten Ave.

▪ Allensworth: 5 to 7 p.m. Dec. 3 at Allensworth Elementary School, 3320 Young Road.

Representatives of the prime contractor, Dragados Flatiron Joint Venture, and the rail authority will offer information about the project schedule, design, and small-business and employment opportunities, and to address questions or concerns about the project.

Kings County represents something of a hotbed of criticism of and opposition to the high-speed rail project, spawning a lawsuit by the county, farmer John Tos and Hanford resident Aaron Fukuda challenging the legality of the statewide rail plan. The Tos/Fukuda/Kings County lawsuit, filed four years ago, is destined for a hearing in Sacramento County Superior Court in February.

This story was originally published November 23, 2015 at 12:58 PM with the headline "High-speed rail holds open houses in Kings, Tulare counties."