California high-speed rail continues to progress, despite COVID-19

A bridge in Madera County that’s part of the bullet train project, had a serious problem with corroded tension strands that broke in December 2019.

California High Speed Rail Authority

While a significant portion of the U.S. workforce is able to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, many are not. Front-line healthcare workers, some restaurant employees, and many who provide “essential services” must report to work every day and work with their employers to maintain their safety and health while they’re on the job. And, many Americans have been laid off from their jobs because their employer’s business has plummeted, with many closed during the pandemic.

Those who are constructing the California high-speed rail line are reporting to work each day, but they are able to take precautions that help protect them from coronavirus.

According to Valley Public Radio, the Central Valley Regional Director of the High-Speed Rail Authority, Diana Gomez said “They used to have big group safety meetings every morning. Instead of having the big group safety meetings, they have smaller ones.”

Gomez added that workers do not sit with each other during lunch any longer, and social distancing and hand washing are the watchwords for the work site.

Gomez said “So even though we are continuing with construction, it’s not business as usual. Every day they’re taking these additional steps required to ensure their safety.”

While some worker groups and union members at Class I railroads and other industry employers have complained about the lack of emphasis on COVID-19 safety, Ronny Jungk, who is a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), which represents a number of electrical workers on the project, says that the workers applaud the safety precautions, and are free to leave if they feel unsafe.

Jungk said “If all of a sudden someone starts coughing, they can say ‘Hey, I’ve had enough of this’ and they can go home and there’s gonna be no adverse effects on them.” The workers can even take a voluntary furlough, and the company won’t argue against their unemployment claim if they choose to file one.

Gomez said that even though the pandemic is having a tremendous negative impact on society, the greatest challenge to the high-speed rail construction progress is the weather, which is a factor in all construction projects.

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