UK architecture studio Foster + Partners and engineering firm Arup have released designs for a series of stations in California that will serve its high-speed rail line.

Foster + Partners and Arup have designed four initial stations to service the 171-mile (275-kilometre) segment of the California High-Speed Rail, a 500-mile (805-kilometre) line under development between Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The stations are the first designed for the corridor, which Foster + Partners claim will be "America's first high-speed rail segment".

Designs to serve as models for other stations

"California High-Speed Rail is a truly pioneering project which has the potential to shape the future of sustainable travel in California and across America," said Foster + Partners head of studio Stefan Behling.

"After delivering our systemwide vision plan, we are now delighted to be working with Arup on detailed designs for the network's first four stations."

The four stations will be sited in the Californian cities of Merced, Fresno, Tulare and Bakersfield, and will serve as models for additional stations along the line.

A render of one station shows an outdoor platform covered by an undulating metal structure with geometric perforations to provide shade.

The rail line has been planned by the government in California since the late 1990s, with the plan being approved in 2008 by the state legislature.

In February of this year, a new timeline and budget were released for the project and, as of now, a series of guidelines and viaduct structures have already been built.

Stations to service line through Central Valley

The stations by Foster + Partners and Arup will cover the stretch of line in California's Central Valley, an area between the two metropolises of San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Once complete, the track will allow trains to travel at 220 miles per hour (350 kilometres per hour) through the corridor, enabling travellers to reach either end in just under three hours.

"Once complete, this segment of high-speed rail will provide much-needed linkages between the diverse communities that comprise California's Central Valley," said Arup principal John Eddy.

"We're thrilled to utilize our global expertise in high-speed rail design to support the California High-Speed Rail Authority."

The first operable line is slated to be completed between 2030 and 2033.

Other designs for rail segments in the region have also recently been announced. A private company called Brightline is currently working on a line that would connect southern California with Los Vegas in Nevada.

Elsewhere, Grimshaw recently revealed its design for a high-speed rail station that will service the UK's HS2 in London.