Construction begins on California bullet train

January 6, 2015

CA bullet trainState workers will begin construction Tuesday on the California high-speed rail project, which if completed, would link Los Angeles to San Francisco. [LA Times]

A groundbreaking ceremony on the $68 billion project will take place at the planned site of the downtown station in Fresno. Workers are then expected to begin building the first 29-mile stretch of rail, connecting Fresno to Madera.

Over the last two years, lawsuits against the project held up construction. The state won a series of court challenges and received a federal exemption from California environmental rules.

But, the California High-Speed Rail Authority has yet to secure even half of the funding needed for the project.

In 2008, California voters approved a $9 billion bond measure for the project. Since then, the Obama Administration committed $3.2 billion of grants, and the Legislature devoted 25 percent of future cap-and-trade revenues to the railway.

Cap-and-trade proceeds are expected to net the state $250 million to $1 billion annually. High-speed rail officials are also counting on money from private investors, as well as additional federal funds.

Rail officials must also purchase hundreds of parcels held by private landowners. The state, thus far, has only acquired 101 of the 526 parcels needed to build the first 29 miles.

Completion of the entire project is scheduled for 2028.


Loading...
74 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Well, if you’re a Bulldog gang banger from Fresno, now you will be able to ride to Madera in 5 minutes in order to reek havoc on that town. That’s progress!


A 200 MPH train is so cool! Too bad it will stop every couple of miles to let people on and off.


Now that illegals can get a California drivers license, maybe the new train should be constructed to link Mexico City to the San Diego DMV?


This bullet train may be for some but not for me unless time is urgent.

From LA To SF in three hours is very fast.

Airline the same but expensive with other logistics and hassles of the airport.

I prefer a nice gentle 7 or 8 hour ride on AmTrak, I’ll just read a book that I never seem to have time to finish, besides they give student and senior discounts, their rates are good.


still subsidized, we will see if it is as heavily or not.


It’s too bad that Amtrak doesn’t go from LA to SF. You need to depart Amtrak in Oakland and take BART the rest of the way into SF.


And, it doesn’t tale 7 to 8 hours to get from LA to SF on Amtrak. It’s over 11 hours to Oakland, so it’s about 12 hours from LA to SF via Amtrak plus BART.


No wonder everyone flies of drives.


Boy, doesn’t reality bite!


If they built a high speed rail line to the Bunny Ranch in Nevada all of these ‘conservatives’ would be for it.


SlowSlower….

We know when you have lost the argument because you go on the attack…Bingo.

Stop Grubering us.


I just ‘Run things up the flagpole and sees who salutes’.


#$%&! Seriously! This is the worse boondoggle … and likely the most corrupt. This thing is going from a prison to a post office in the middle of nowhere. This state has completely lost it.


I wonder how long it will take to find the passenger (singular) that would be interested in buying a ticket from Fresno to Madera?


On the other hand, how many people from Madera are in a hurry to get to crime ridden Fresno? This is going to be a real money maker!


I for one cannot wait to be able to get from Madera to Fresno in 10 minutes! Do you think the ticket will be under a dollar?


Going to take a fast train to Vancouver BC ten or fifteen years from now.


Why the hell does it go to Fresno? Why wouldn’t it run up the I 5 from San Diego to San Francisco where all the population and commerce is? They could run it on the side or elavate it for less than it cost to buy up all the land and fight lawsuits


eminent domain……great idea smiley.