From
the 2016 Business Plan at the main CHSRA site, has a list of expected environmental-assessment completion dates (document page 88, PDF page 98). In the page before it, for the Central Valley Wye, "Final environmental clearance is anticipated in spring 2019." The wye will extend from Madera to Merced.
Also in 2019, San Jose - CV Wye, Bakersfield - Palmdale, Burbank - Los Angeles - Anaheim. In 2020, San Francisco - San Jose, Palmdale - Burbank.
From page 17 / 27, they continue to propose making Silicon Valley - Central Valley first. But they extend it from San Jose - Poplar Ave. to San Francisco - Bakersfield. They also propose building San Francisco - Gilroy before the Pacheco Pass tunnels and Madera - Merced.
They plan this approach:
1. Complete Central Valley civil work
2. Add Central Valley track and systems
3. Expand Central Valley construction -- Poplar Ave. to Bakersfield
4. Expand electrification of the Caltrain corridor -- from San Jose to Gilroy
5. Make additional capital investments from San José to San Francisco
6. Advance Pacheco Pass and Merced project development work
7. Engage with partners -- about building the tunnels
They will consider two options for putting the Central Valley trackage to use: (1) improved San Joaquin service and (2) early high-speed service. I think that I'd like the latter, because it would be a good way to show that there is something. I remember reading that some critics snicker that the HSR construction will become a latter-day Stonehenge.
The Madera - Bakersfield track distance is around 137 miles, and an average speed of 150 mph gives a bit less than an hour of travel time. However, it is 3 times faster than Amtrak's San Joaquins. That train's connecting buses to Los Angeles take about 2h 20m, and a Madera - San Jose bus will likely take a similar amount of time to make its trip. The San Joaquins with their Oakland - San Francisco bus take 4 hours to do SF - Madera, even longer. Thus giving a rather disjointed trip.