Comment box Scope: information, speculation Tone: neutral Opinion: yes Sarcasm/humor: none CAHSR Authority technically has enough money on-hand or in the pipeline to remain funded through the...
Comment box
Scope: information, speculation
Tone: neutral
Opinion: yes
Sarcasm/humor: none
CAHSR Authority technically has enough money on-hand or in the pipeline to remain funded through the incoming administration, but not much beyond that. In any case, there are some grant application deadlines coming up in the next couple of years. If the federal government pans CAHSR (which is likely), it will be left to the state of California to cover the remaining funding gap for the Central Valley segment, which is in the low billions. It can be done -- we spend far more on highways every year -- it just has to be prioritized.
See the CAHSR 2024 Business Plan, page 55. It could be as much as $6.4 billion needed (which would be possible but hard, likely resulting in delays as the state would spread that out over a few years). Any delays mean costs continue to escalate. It is also possible that even a hostile federal government does fund CAHSR a little, just not a lot.
This isn't counting the portions connecting to San Francisco or Los Angeles, which are environmentally approved but not constructed. Some work has been done between SF and San Jose already to support electrification, and there is track from San Jose to Gilroy but it's not electrified. There is no infrastructure done at all between Gilroy and Merced; and none between Bakersfield and Los Angeles or Anaheim. Good luck San Diego/Sacramento, you will have your railroad in 2060.
Lucid Stew covers some nitty-gritty news related to CAHSR, including budget outlays.
This is such a large and important project that I doubt it will be completely canceled. It takes time to build large linear infrastructure, like the interstates, many of which functionally took decades to finish. If nothing else, once the Central Valley gets its trains running, the rest of the state will realize exactly what they're missing and will probably prioritize future funding. Any success of Brightline West will also help CAHSR, at least the extension of infrastructure if not the organization's reputation.
Comment box
CAHSR Authority technically has enough money on-hand or in the pipeline to remain funded through the incoming administration, but not much beyond that. In any case, there are some grant application deadlines coming up in the next couple of years. If the federal government pans CAHSR (which is likely), it will be left to the state of California to cover the remaining funding gap for the Central Valley segment, which is in the low billions. It can be done -- we spend far more on highways every year -- it just has to be prioritized.
See the CAHSR 2024 Business Plan, page 55. It could be as much as $6.4 billion needed (which would be possible but hard, likely resulting in delays as the state would spread that out over a few years). Any delays mean costs continue to escalate. It is also possible that even a hostile federal government does fund CAHSR a little, just not a lot.
This isn't counting the portions connecting to San Francisco or Los Angeles, which are environmentally approved but not constructed. Some work has been done between SF and San Jose already to support electrification, and there is track from San Jose to Gilroy but it's not electrified. There is no infrastructure done at all between Gilroy and Merced; and none between Bakersfield and Los Angeles or Anaheim. Good luck San Diego/Sacramento, you will have your railroad in 2060.
Lucid Stew covers some nitty-gritty news related to CAHSR, including budget outlays.
This is such a large and important project that I doubt it will be completely canceled. It takes time to build large linear infrastructure, like the interstates, many of which functionally took decades to finish. If nothing else, once the Central Valley gets its trains running, the rest of the state will realize exactly what they're missing and will probably prioritize future funding. Any success of Brightline West will also help CAHSR, at least the extension of infrastructure if not the organization's reputation.