State sues everyone in high-speed rail case
March 28, 2013
In an effort to head off future lawsuits challenging California’s planned high-speed rail project, state officials have filed a civil case against “all persons interested.” (San Jose Mercury News)
The move is intended to validate $8.6 billion in voter-approved bonds for constructions of the rail line hoped to eventually link northern and southern California.
The “against everyone” lawsuit is considered a preemptive endeavor to offset the possibility of endless individual lawsuits in the future. It will also provide a high level of security for future bond buyers, according to state lawyers. An obscure California law allows this kind of litigation intended to deal with all legal issues under one single lawsuit.
The high-speed rail is this state’s most ambitious project ever with an approximated end price of $68 billion, and it has attracted legions of opposition. Rather than deal with one legal challenge after another, state officials have chosen this route.
Bids were received from contractors last month for construction of the initial 30-mile segment of the rail system, stretching from Madera to Bakersfield.
According to plans, the trains will travel at 220 miles an hour, promising a San Francisco-to-Los Angeles journey of about two hours.
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