May 23—Bakersfield's public bus operator announced Monday it has purchased vacant land in east Bakersfield for the purpose of relocating its headquarters to make room for a high-speed rail station.

Golden Empire Transit District said in an afternoon news release it recently acquired 60 acres near South Mt. Vernon Avenue and East Belle Terrace. It added that the site is near Highway 58 for easy bus deployment with "room for future expansion."

GET noted the California High-Speed Rail Authority is working to buy the district's existing operations and maintenance facility along Golden State Avenue off F Street. That property is planned to house the Bakersfield High Speed Rail Station.

The proposed new facility in east Bakersfield is expected to contain a compressed natural gas fueling station, a hydrogen fueling station and a charging station for electric buses.

"This project will take several years to complete but we are excited for the future growth of our communities' public transit system," GET CEO Karen King said in Monday's release.

King went on to reference the district's goal of transitioning to a fleet composed entirely of zero-emission vehicles by 2040.

"The transition to zero emissions buses will provide for a healthier and cleaner Bakersfield," she stated.

The rail authority continues to lay tracks southward toward Bakersfield as it works to complete a system that would run bullet trains between San Francisco and Los Angeles.