The California High-Speed Rail Authority has confirmed that a station in downtown Merced is still under consideration, following public backlash over earlier signals that the city-centre option might be dropped from the programme.

The authority's statement responds to criticism that emerged after indications the Merced terminus of the first operable segment could shift away from the downtown alignment. Local officials and residents had pushed back, arguing that a station outside the city core would undercut the project's connectivity goals for the San Joaquin Valley city.

Merced sits at the northern end of the roughly 270 km initial operating segment the authority is building between Merced and Bakersfield, a stretch that remains the only part of the statewide high-speed network with construction underway. Where the Merced station lands matters for the segment's utility: a downtown site would place the terminal close to the city's existing transit links and central business district, while an outlying site would require passengers to transfer for final-mile access.

The authority's latest position — that downtown Merced "is still in play" — signals that no final siting decision has been made. It follows the pattern of a public agency adjusting its messaging after community objections rather than an outright commitment to the downtown option.

For the Central Valley, station placement is the difference between the line functioning as an urban connector or a bypass. Merced's leaders have treated the downtown station as central to the city's economic case for hosting the terminus, which is why the apparent retreat from that option drew a swift reaction.

The authority has not announced a revised timeline for the station decision. The Merced–Bakersfield segment continues to advance, with the station siting question expected to be resolved as environmental and design work on the northern approach moves forward.