And in Crazy Train news.

[AngelsLakersFan]

14 hours ago, Jay said:

Did they say how many miles of high-speed rail that is?

[arch stanton]

Because speed is the most important factor in high tech construction projects. I’m sure no safety measures were skimped or completely disregarded in the process 

[Jay]

High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines built to handle speeds above 250 km/h (155 mph) or upgraded lines in excess of 200 km/h (124 mph) are widely considered to be high-speed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail

As of November 2021, the U.S. has one high-speed rail line under construction (California High-Speed Rail) in California,[44] and advanced planning by a company called Texas Central Railway in Texas, higher-speed rail projects in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest and Southeast, as well as upgrades on the high-speed Northeast Corridor. The private higher speed rail venture Brightline in Florida started operations along part of its route in early 2018. Speeds are this far limited to 127 km/h (79 mph) but extensions will be built for a top speed of 201 km/h (125 mph).

[Jay]

11 hours ago, arch stanton said:

Because speed is the most important factor in high tech construction projects. I’m sure no safety measures were skimped or completely disregarded in the process 

I've only been to Shenzhen but their trains (subways) are legit.

Looking forward to the day when we can point to the California HSR with pride as it zooms past, covered in graffiti.

 

[Jason]

16 minutes ago, Jay said:

High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail system that runs significantly faster than traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks. While there is no single standard that applies worldwide, lines built to handle speeds above 250 km/h (155 mph) or upgraded lines in excess of 200 km/h (124 mph) are widely considered to be high-speed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail

As of November 2021, the U.S. has one high-speed rail line under construction (California High-Speed Rail) in California,[44] and advanced planning by a company called Texas Central Railway in Texas, higher-speed rail projects in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest and Southeast, as well as upgrades on the high-speed Northeast Corridor. The private higher speed rail venture Brightline in Florida started operations along part of its route in early 2018. Speeds are this far limited to 127 km/h (79 mph) but extensions will be built for a top speed of 201 km/h (125 mph).

It feels like developing a Star Trek like teleporter system would have been less expensive than what California is dishing out for ours 

[arch stanton]

12 hours ago, Jason said:

It feels like developing a Star Trek like teleporter system would have been less expensive than what California is dishing out for ours 

Are you still under the impression that this was ever about building a rail system?

[Jason]

5 hours ago, arch stanton said:

Are you still under the impression that this was ever about building a rail system?

Haha, not in the slightest. I drive up the 99 frequently and there’s a big section of track outside of Fresno that I believe was put there as a prop. It doesn’t look like they’ve done any real work on it in quite some time. It does have a sign claiming the project has created 5,000+ jobs though. 

[gotbeer]

2 hours ago, Jason said:

Haha, not in the slightest. I drive up the 99 frequently and there’s a big section of track outside of Fresno that I believe was put there as a prop. It doesn’t look like they’ve done any real work on it in quite some time. It does have a sign claiming the project has created 5,000+ jobs though. 

Wonder how many jobs it shut down permanently, because this thing is going through fertile farmland?

[gotbeer]

Costly California bullet train will be billions more due to inflation, says board

Quote

Inflation and supply-chain issues are combining to drive up the forecast cost of high-speed rail construction between Merced and Bakersfield by billions of dollars by the time the anticipated stretch becomes operational.

Quote

In the California High-Speed Rail Authority’s 2022 business plan sent to the state Legislature last year, cost estimates for the planned Merced-Bakersfield interim operating segment ranged from $22.5 billion and about $24 billion.

As the agency attempts to account for inflation from the 2022 business plan, the new cost range is rising to between $29.8 billion and $32.9 billion for completion of the Valley sections, Kelly reported.

Quote

The San Francisco-Los Angeles/Anaheim system was once expected to cost somewhere around $43 billion; that later ballooned to almost $100 billion in late 2011 before the state rail agency sought ways to bring the costs back down.

The newest figures reported Thursday by Kelly, and which will be included in the March 1 project update report to legislators, offer a base estimate of $106.1 billion, but with a possible range from as low as about $88.5 billion to a high of almost $128 billion.

 

[Tank]

this would be hilarious if we weren't so financially screwed by all of it.

[Blarg]

It would be much funnier if this was in New York and tied Watertown to New Paltz, two completely nothing small cities that crossover no commerce hubs.

[gotbeer]

I like the excuse of inflation, to increase the cost 33% in a year.  They must be buying a lot of eggs to build the crazy train.  

[Don]

This is absolutely hilarious. Like if these are the actual final numbers on what it would cost to do this (and we all know they're not), maybe it's just not a good idea? Sure, it would be nice to get from Bakersfield to Merced quickly, and I know that would make everyone in California very happy; but maybe the juice just isn't worth the squeeze there. Sort of the same way I'd like to hire a house cleaner to come by once a week, but I'd also rather not pay her $24 billion.

I just can't fathom how anyone thinks this is realistic. Both from a cost and reality perspective. Like, obviously the cost is insanely high compared to the return if it ever actually gets built. But this has also been in the works for so long, and so much money has gone into it, and nobody has done anything of actual importance so far. The assessments, planning, and general bureaucratic BS surrounding this whole thing has become an industry unto itself, and everyone in the world can see it with the exception of the people that keep greenlighting more and more of it. It's basically a public works ponzi scheme at this point, which is why I'm sure there are decision makers out there taking down some of that cash flow either directly or indirectly. And nobody seems to be able to stop it.

[gotbeer]

California bullet train project still lacks needed financing

Quote

Each day, according to the High-Speed Rail Authority, about 1,000 men and women are working on the construction of an initial San Joaquin Valley stage of what is supposed to be eventually become a statewide system of very fast trains.

An ordinary person – someone with no vested interest – would interpret that statistic as meaning the project supports 1,000 jobs. But in government-talk if 1,000 people have been working for 10 years, it means the project has created 10,000 jobs, which sounds much more impressive as political justification.

 

[gotbeer]

California bullet train project faces more cost increases, possible delays

Quote

High Speed Rail Authority officials on Thursday could not provide an estimated completion date for the original vision pitched to voters but said the price tag for the entire project is now up to $128 billion, a 13% increase from last year's projections.

 

Imagine that, they come in at their high end of their projections.  

[Blarg]

Meanwhile a private firm is building a high speed rail to Las Vegas and has a $10 billion dollar budget. It will probably stay on budget because they are finding it themselves instead of bleeding tax payers. 

[gotbeer]

Assembly members, Shafter questioning the High Speed Rail Auth. asking for $10 bil. more

[Blarg]

The proposed cost to build the 218 mile high speed rail to Las Vegas by a private company. 

[Jason]

3 hours ago, gotbeer said:

Assembly members, Shafter questioning the High Speed Rail Auth. asking for $10 bil. more

Quote

He says the high speed rail asked the Biden administration for money and they were denied

Thanks Joe!

[Blarg]

Joe is too busy sending high speed missiles to the Ukraine. 

[AngelsLakersFan]

22 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Joe is too busy sending high speed missiles to the Ukraine. 

We could have some cool shit here if we weren't spending so much money on bombing people in other parts of the world.

[Blarg]

The whole purpose was is not to liberate the Ukraine but to test our hardware against Russian hardware. Proxy wars are simply test sites that don't blow up US soil, get data on how effective our tactics are when translated to real war situations. We are finding the Russians have outdated hardware, a poor supply line infrastructure, poor field tactics and training. 

[Blarg]

Shit, I derailed a train thread. 

[Jason]

1 minute ago, Blarg said:

The whole purpose was is not to liberate the Ukraine but to test our hardware against Russian hardware. Proxy wars are simply test sites that don't blow up US soil, get data on how effective our tactics are when translated to real war situations. We are finding the Russians have outdated hardware, a poor supply line infrastructure, poor field tactics and training. 

China test up next

[gotbeer]

Serious question here.  Maybe some of the libs can answer.  

But should the Federal government be helping to fund a project that only affects and marginally benefits people of one state?  

This isn't like a federal interstate.  It doesn't even help commerce.  It's just an inconvenient way to travel within the state.