Can California’s High-Speed Rail Ever Be Completed? (2024 Project Update)

[@f-86zoomer37]

Fun fact: CAHSR has had far more environmental review lawsuits than SoFi stadium (had ZERO) which is roughly 70% covered in asphalt parking lots.

[@mattpotter8725]

I think there are vested interests in slowing down this project and possibly making it such that it never gets completed at all.

[@mrfeicco]

@@mattpotter8725 Yeah... the Airlines XD

[@IONATVS]

@@mrfeicco And car companies. Heck, Elon Musk has flat-out admitted the entire reason he proposed the Hyperloop gadgetbahn was to kill CAHSR.

[@jason94095]

CAHSR’s scope is a little bit larger than SoFi.

[@IONATVS]

@@jason94095 True, but it is still telling that a private, car-centric, sports venue USING public funds and heavy-handed land acquisition mechanisms gets less scrutiny than even very small legs of a public, environmentally conscious project like CAHSR through similarly valuable urban land.

[@ramonalfaro3252]

I remember people telling me there would never be a subway in Los Angeles again. Been riding it for about 34 years now.

[@DonGivani]

I hope one day I can experience that in LA as well. TBH is nothing compared to Hong Kong, Tokyo, London,Madrid, Berlin or Paris. And the latest additions are taking like ages to complete

[@tonyburzio4107]

Does your Subway travel through Perris? Now you know whats wrong with CHSR.

[@stlgdroidst]

It's not really a subway in LA anymore, more like underground homeless camps.

[@ramonalfaro3252]

@@stlgdroidst Still better than shithole flyover states.

[@ramonalfaro3252]

@@stlgdroidst What does it say about other states that people would rather be homeless in California than move to shithole Red States???

[@realadrieno]

The general public DOES want high speed rail, but those who DON’T (so the auto and oil industries), have the money to block the project. And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is the problem with our society.

[@IONATVS]

And rich suburbs full of NIMBYs, upset that CA isn't just bulldozing the next door poor neighborhoods like they did for the Interstates for silly reasons like "it's a faster route that will do less overall damage to the environment and population of our state, while better serving that same population at large"! Wouldn't want to forget them and their parade of thousands of frivolous lawsuits!

[@joetrey215]

What leads you to conclude that the oil industry cares whether high-speed rail is built?

[@sergiucodina196]

​​@@joetrey215well, it would replace a lot of trips made by car in California, but most importantly, it would set a precedent for other states to start build new HSR and potentially replace even more trips that are currently made by cars. And we all know that in the US the car industry has a lot to say about what s being built and what s not

[@AllenGraetz]

Any notion that HSR isn't happening because of some nefarus actors is tin foil hat stuff. Cali HSR to be built from LA to San Fran with 100% HSR will cost $200B. Just lil ol Dallas to Houston is looking to cost $40B. Steel wheels on steel rail is a wonderful tech to reduce friction. Growing the speed exponentially raises the costs of what was already a resource intensive tech.

[@joetrey215]

@sergiucodina196 The oil industry has bigger things to worry about. Do you have any evidence of the oil industry opposing HSR?

[@onetwothreeabc]

If something needs the "consensus" of American people, it can never be done.

[@jason94095]

So I guess we’ve never voted for president?

[@onetwothreeabc]

@@jason94095 You don't need "consensus" to elect a president. You just need 270 electoral vote. Totally different from "consensus".

[@jason94095]

@@onetwothreeabc 👏👏👏

[@ramonalfaro3252]

I remember people telling me there would never be a subway in Los Angeles again. Been riding it for about 34 years now.

[@f-86zoomer37]

@@ramonalfaro3252 well if you want to use the actual definitions of subway, it took like 40 years for LA to finally build one. But it's not a new line. It's an old line that was supposed to get built, but never got built because of nimby boomers. Sorry expo line, K line, you are not real subways. you are light rail. LA should not be having light rail given how many people live there.

[@LuckyFlanker13]

Minor error, on 9:10, 9:24 and some later maps, you misaligned the route of the northern part of CAHSR (caltrain).

[@TheGreatPOD]

I was going to point that out myself. Thank you for your capture of it but yeah, the alignment is going up to Eastbay San Francisco and supposed to the Peninsula in the San Francisco. As another note the electric trains running on Caltrans traffic San Jose in San Francisco is actually in revenue service now sure

[@mintydewdrops]

@@TheGreatPOD yep!! also HSR does plan on stopping at Milbrae-SFO so that stop's completely been missed

[@malagasylisa1680]

@@mintydewdropsreally? I had no idea. What a great idea. Thank you.

[@collinkemp7808]

At 4:12 the map contains several inaccuracies. The segment under construction is only 117 miles long from Madera to Shafter. 171 miles refers to the Initial Operating Segment (Initial Operating Segment) which includes the two Advanced Design segments north into Merced and South into Bakersfield. The CPs are mislabeled - they should be labeled CP 1, CP 2/3, and CP 4. The 4 stations in development are Merced, Fresno, Kings/Tulare (near Hanford), and Bakersfield. There is a fifth HSR station in development in Madera but that is a project by another rail authority (San Joaquin JPA) which will operate the IOS from Merced to Bakersfield. That JPA is planning and delivering the stop in Madera but it's not part of the CHSR project. Also at 9:19 as others have mentioned the alignment will travel along the Caltrain alignment through the San Mateo peninsula and NOT through the East Bay.

[@ChrisJones-gx7fc]

*119 miles currently under construction, between Avenue 19 in Madera and Poplar Avenue north of Shafter. Civil construction for the Bakersfield extension is now funded, so construction south of Poplar Avenue should be starting up in the next year or so, likely starting with the six grade separation projects in Shafter that are also funded. The Madera-Merced segment is awaiting funding, which CAHSR is pursuing additional IIJA grants totaling $4.7 billion for. That total amount will also fill the funding gap for the remainder of the Merced-Bakersfield segment, which has a total estimated price tag of roughly $35 billion, $28 billion of which has been secured so far and $12-13 billion of that has been spent. That amount includes everything needed to get revenue high speed train service going by 2030-33.

[@PacificNatureTV]

@@ChrisJones-gx7fc this is the robust kind of info ppl need!

[@thejamesingram]

why be accurate when you could just be a hater instead

[@barryrobbins7694]

“…if only there was a will and the consensus among the American society…” That was very polite.😀

[@tsepheletseka5115]

You would think with the Olympics in LA fast approaching that would motivate the powers that be to work a little faster to ensure that at least part of the line is up and running by then.

[@tonyburzio4107]

You mean to Bakersfield.

[@PHXPlanespotter]

How's that gonna help??? The line doesn't even go to LA.

[@thastayapongsak4422]

You know a rail channel made it when it's sponsored by a train building contractor lol

[@jayaujo9904]

All videos have a sponsor and it's usually related to the subject matter.

[@kilodeltaeight]

Some additional details that were missing: - CalTrain’s new FLIRT EMU’s are in service now, and a fully electric schedule will begin in September, drastically increasing service across the corridor. - AB 2503, which exempts rail transit projects like CalHSR from the State environmental review law, has passed both houses of the legislature and is expected to be signed into law. Projects will still need to complete Federal Environmental Clearance to receive Federal funding, BUT will no longer be subject to the absurd amount of lawsuits possible with CEQA - helping speed up design and delivery. It’s taking forever, yes, but we are figuring things out and ensuring future projects and generations will finally have the transit infrastructure they deserve.

[@osmanhossain676]

I always want California High-Speed Rail in California and I always love California High-Speed Rail in California.😮

[@onetwothreeabc]

And the funding should only come from California.

[@ramonalfaro3252]

I remember people telling me there would never be a subway in Los Angeles again. Been riding it for about 34 years now.

[@TransRightsTrains]

@@onetwothreeabc Here's an idea, cut military funds by 90% and send it to several infrastructure projects around the country.

[@onetwothreeabc]

@@TransRightsTrains I’m not against this idea. Go ahead.

[@nativeamerican8069]

Troll

[@stevens1041]

The map shows HSR going along the East Bay, even though it should be going along the peninsula.

[@keithstewart7514]

Thank you (new sub) for the very fair & insightful information! As a 60 yo lifetime resident of Bakersfield California the potential for MYSELF to have ridden or to have utilized High Speed Rail I'm able to sustain long term hope. Being taught about climate change in the late 70's and experiencing a whole lot of NOTHING TOWARDS what was a slippery slope back then... Has now passed the point of any real change (to little to late).

[@philipkudrna5643]

Seems the future of this Channel is secured! 😂

[@ChrisJones-gx7fc]

Short answer, yes. If it gets the funding it needs. Other factors play a part too, but funding is the biggest one.

[@tonyburzio4107]

Nope, plenty of funding.

[@ChrisJones-gx7fc]

@@tonyburzio4107 elaborate. So far CAHSR has been getting piecemeal funding totaling about $28 billion available, made up of the $9.95 billion in Prop 1A funds, annual state cap & trade funds averaging about $1 billion per year, and several federal grants totaling about $7 billion. $12-13 billion of that amount has been spent so far. CAHSR will need up to $7 billion more to complete Merced-Bakersfield, $4.7 billion of which they hope to receive through more federal IIJA grants, and the remainder from state C&T funds, which last through 2030 if not extended.

[@ChrisJones-gx7fc]

@@tonyburzio4107 so far California HSR has received/been authorized a total of about $28.7 billion, consisting of the $9.95 billion from Prop 1A, several federal grants, and State Cap & Trade funds, of which $12-13 billion has been expended so far. They'll need $5-7 billion more to complete Merced to Bakersfield and begin revenue service. Now compare that to Caltrans' freeway budget, which spent $18 billion last fiscal year alone compared to CAHSR spending $1 billion that same year.

[@ScottSjoberg]

The route map illustrated in this video shows the HSR tracks running from San Jose up the East Bay to the Oakland area. The actual route will be along the current Caltrain tracks that run from San Jose up the West side of the Bay to San Francisco.

[@robertab929]

Please, add international metric system measurement in your videos.

[@kyah117]

Totally. Miles are a mess 😅

[@jdillon8360]

but freedom units are the best in the world! WTF is a kilometer argh! 🦅 just kidding I'm australian and like all sensible nations we also use the metric system.

[@robertab929]

@@jdillon8360 Metric system consist only freedom units. Imperial system is based on system used in imperial Great Britain. It is far from freedom units! 😊

[@jdillon8360]

@@robertab929 yeah I know. it's just a joke

[@JosephCee]

Why? This video is concerning the high speed rail project in the United States and we don't use the metric system. I have to put up with your ridiculous system of measurement when I watch videos concerning other countries.

[@mrxman581]

Very well done. And it's refreshing to see a video that speaks to the lack of needed federal funding for HSR in the USA.

[@tonyburzio4107]

It didn't get the funding because it was wasting every single penny.

[@ChrisJones-gx7fc]

@@mrxman581 always love seeing your comments on these kinds of videos

[@thastayapongsak4422]

@@tonyburzio4107 as opposed to the wasteful and unnecessary wars in the middle east.

[@mrxman581]

​@@ChrisJones-gx7fcReally? You made my day! I didn't think anyone would pay that kind of attention to my comments. I'm truly humbled. I try to be fair and objective, but it doesn't always happen. Next time I feel an indignant rage swelling up, I'm going to take a breath and tell myself, "hey, remember, Chris might read this."😊

[@ChrisJones-gx7fc]

4:00 this map is inaccurate. The initial 171-mile segment, of which 119 miles between Madera and north of Shafter are actively under construction, is from MERCED to Bakersfield. The five stations are Merced, Madera*, Fresno, Kings-Tulare, and Bakersfield. (Madera is not being funded or built by CAHSR). Both ACE Rail and Amtrak San Joaquins will connect the Bay Area and Sacramento with CAHSR at Merced, as will thruway buses in Bakersfield to Southern California.

[@sillybillyno1]

why dont you add measurements in kilometres as well? do you think everyone watching will be american?

[@etbadaboum]

I expect Phase 1 to be done by 2050, if it's not cancelled before that, which is quite likely

[@markwaypoint]

Watching a video on the USA being dead last in terms of HSR among developed countries from an ICE trainset between Göttingen and Hannover in Germany. Godspeed California

[@AllenGraetz]

Don't forget those "high speed" trains operate a speed 1/3 of that of an Airbus 319. They're actually quite slow.

[@lindsiria]

However, just by completing CA HSR phase one (SF to LA), the US will rank higher than Germany for total HSR network size. We will suddenly be in the top five. People don't realize that outside China, all other developed countries with HSR are quite small.... while California is huge. CAHSR Phase 1 + 2, Brightline (both Florida expansions and LA to LV), the Texas triangle and the NC route would bring us up to the top 3 or 4 HSR networks if they all get built.

[@kilodeltaeight]

This! CalHSR is a massive project - of course it’s going to take ages. Yeah, we’d love it to take LESS ages, but California is *huge* so it’s a lot of work.

[@mattpotter8725]

Nice video, however I'd love to know what the increase in cost is when you strip out inflation because i would think a lot of the cost increase is due to that so by saying the initial estimate was $x and is now $y it's not really being honest. Sure you can say build the system more quickly and you reduce this inflationary cost, but that means higher spending on the short term when that money is needed elsewhere. I see channels like yours do this all the time. I get it is difficult to calculate and adds extra analysis to a video in an area you might not have any expertise in but i think it's necessary otherwise people just say the cost has gone up by 50% when it really hasn't.

[@osmanhossain676]

Yes and yeah of course California High-Speed Rail in California.😮

[@cjs83172]

One of the things many don't understand about rail projects, even short-distanced ones, is just how long they take to get built. For instance, it took about 8 years for the San Diego Trolley Blue Line's extension to UTC (University Town Center) to get built, and there were only about 8-10 miles of track added, as some of the track used was already in existence for the Green Line run from downtown San Diego to just past the Old Town Transit Center. And they think that, if such a project is ever given the green light by both the U.S. and Mexican governments, it's going to take about 8 years for MTS to build a cross-border extension for the Blue Line into Tijuana. And it's taken just as long for LA Metro to complete some of it's projects, if not longer, including the D Line extension toward Santa Monica, the eastward extension of what's now the A Line toward Pomona (from it's current eastern terminus in Azusa), as well as building the K LIne and filling the gap between the K Line's Westchester/Veterans Station and the C Line's current Aviation Blvd. stop, to get LA Metro's rail service to better serve LAX, which should be complete by year's end. And those projects I mentioned include building just a few miles of railroad tracks, not HUNDREDS of miles of railroad tracks, as is the case with the California HSR project as well as the infrastructure to support such a line, such as bridges and tunnels. So even if they hadn't run into these delays, the California HSR project was going to take about 30 years to build, given that they're going to build it in stages, first from Los Angeles to Merced, and then extend it westward toward San Francisco and southward toward San Diego via the Inland Empire, including areas that badly need alternative means of transportation, especially the I-15 corridor between Murrieta and just north of downtown San Diego (they'd eventually have to head west toward the 25-30 MPH Miramar Hill section of the current Amtrak/Coaster route, since they'd likely not be allowed to go through MCAS Miramar.)

[@MrAwesomeSauce777]

It will never be ready until 2028. It’s gonna take at least another 10-15 years for it to be done.

[@asfasdfadf9820]

yes, more videos, please, thank you!

[@scottmarquardt3575]

Pacheco pass is a beautiful area and part of the silicon valley/San Francisco Bay area. I worked in Morgan Hill(a burb of San Jose and look alike of a little Los Angeles)in 1997 and the newly designed streets fit in with the little mountain range and the ocean on the other side of it (Santa Cruz and Monterey)

[@ChrisJones-gx7fc]

That Pacheco Pass tunnel could honestly be what ultimately makes or breaks this project. Get that done, and you connect the Bay Area and Central Valley with a new, fast, frequent mode of travel that, with good transit on at least the Bay Area end, outcompetes driving. That will also help generate increased demand to get HSR to SoCal ASAP. If that fails though, and things burn out, all that's left is Merced-Bakersfield and a very missed opportunity, as the alternative to connect the Central Valley to the Bay Area (and SoCal) remains expanding already busy freeways across the mountain passes, including Pacheco, which will get even busier as more people move to the Central Valley from the Bay Area and SoCal in search of more affordable housing, making the demand for a better alternative to driving between those regions that much greater.

[@suspiciousafternoon]

progress is so slow

[@californiamade5608]

It’s was slow but it’s faster now than ever, if that makes sense.

[@stickynorth]

Too slow especially since Brightline West will be ready for 2028 and it just started construction this year...

[@tonyburzio4107]

There is NO progress, are you guys nuts? A couple of overpasses, no track. That's silly.

[@ChrisJones-gx7fc]

@@tonyburzio4107 so until trains are running there’s no progress? What kind of logic is that? They need to build all the civil infrastructure the tracks will go on, i.e. the guideway and structures, before they can put tracks and other systems down. The design contract for the tracks and systems was recently awarded earlier this year, and installation should begin in another year or so on completed segments of guideway. One only needs to drive along Highways 43 and 99 between Shafter and Madera to see a lot of the progress, or simply go check out the countless photos and routine videos posted online by CAHSR and others.

[@TransRightsTrains]

@@stickynorth Brightline West had faced similar issues but ultimately it is being built in existing rights of way and even parallel to a freeway, and it will terminate at Rancho Cucamonga. It's a lot of compromises made just to build the system, while CAHSR is focusing on building the system to connect up the most important city cores. Brightline is also in great talks with the CAHSR Authority, and they support the project.

[@tedhaining2244]

Caltrain transitioned to full electric service between the cities of San Jose and San Francisco to eventually support HSR this past weekend (21-22 SEP 2024). Celebrations were held at a couple points on the line. The new trains are quite nice and quieter than their diesel predecessors.

[@GEREIKAT]

9:00 You spent all that time making the graphics and didn't even bother to get the alignment right. CAHSR will connect to SF via the Peninsula, not the East Bay.

[@lassepeterson2740]

The irony is that the same people( government ) that came up with the idea of this train are the same people who made the laws almost impossible to get the job done .

[@Lodai974]

At the same time the LGV Occitanie between Bordeaux and Toulouse (200km for design at 360kph) begins in France. Expropriations and works in the suburbs of the two terminal cities (with redesign of existing tracks and doubling of tracks) have begun. Field studies for the detail of the The LGV Aquitaine (200km: including 150km for 360kph (design) and the rest for 220kph (operation)), it is in the final phase of discussion and negotiation with political organizations (environmental and other things, and final negotiation in the face of rejection by the population). The detailed routes (with the land registry) are already published. The challenge is to run the line through urban areas (hence the 220kph) and to connect it to the border with the Basque Y (Spanish Renfe TGV network) Opening 2030 for Occitanie and 2032 for Aquitaine.

[@NathanYount]

If I am understanding this right, the Phase II northern part that connects Sacramento will initial be serviced by already existing services connecting through Merced CA since the extension beyond the turn needed to go to San Fran. Merced is included in Phase One as planned to serve as a transfer point to the Amtrak San Joaquins and Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) trains continuing towards Stockton, Sacramento and other destinations. Does that mean that once Phase Two is complete, you can't take the actual HSR Trains and would have to transfer in Merced with a layover thus making it not HSR continuous service and that HSR trains will not be operating that region thus not regulated fares, synergy complications with multiple operators, and various other factors?

[@entized5671]

phase 1 will definitely be completed, we don‘t know when but it will be after that it stands to see

[@WaynesStrangeBrain]

I just moved to the bay area. Would be great if this was finally finished instead of finally barely starting!

[@JamesSwainPhD]

The map showing the route from San Jose to San Francisco is wrong. The map shows the route passing up the east side of the San Francisco Bay, which is where the Amtrack lines connecting San Jose to Sacramento run. The Caltrain lines connecting San Jose to San Francisco run up the peninsular to the west of the Bay. Also, Caltrain has completed testing of their EMUs and are now running them in service, alongside the existing diesel locomotive until they go all electric on 21 September 2024.

[@AllenGraetz]

Americans could have a high speed rail network. But they're not foolish enough to do such a thing.

[@DrZark]

The map at 9:11 is incorrect. Its not running through the Eastbay, but the peninsula instead.

[@jorgehaswag7294]

For some reason you showed the Caltrain portion going up the east bay, instead of the peninsula. Caltrain has no tracks in the east bay, that’s where BART operates

[@RailwayNetworks]

We will visit Harting ☺

[@animo4263]

I wanted to go to innotrans and see them too. Unfortunately I'm not a customer so they wouldn't give out a free ticket. Might still pay and go.

[@elvinsledge-h6f]

The graphic for the HSR and CalTrain in the Bay Area is not correct. The trains run (and will run) between San Jose and San Francisco on the peninsula on the west side of the bay. Your graphic incorrectly indicates the east side of the bay and a tunnel or some other link between Oakland and SF that is not in the project.

[@gdrriley420]

CAHSRA didn't just decided to start in the middle, it was a condition of federal funding and needed to provide a test track there are 4 construction packages being worked on by 3 teams CP1, CP2/3 and CP4. CP4 is There is no Wasco or Corcoran station CAHSR will use the peninsula not the east bay to reach San Fransisco Burbank to Los Angeles current design is so flawed and expensive I expect it will get redone.

[@jermainetrainallen6416]

Thanks for the vid. Progress on this project has been slow but hopefully we start seeing some more signs that there's light at the end of the tunnel soon. I think there perhaps needs to be better long term planning for California High Speed Rail

[@ronaldhorton2438]

The map is incorrect showing the train going to Oakland instead of San Francisco. It should go up the pinsunsula to San Francisco.

[@jamesau4296]

But still, does more emission getting reduced if we reallocated the budget for the HSR to solar panels?

[@oh...hi.]

The map at 9:22 is wrong, the tracks go up the peninsula not through Oakland

[@ivi00ndanc3r1]

This will never happen, come on is taking them years to complete the one in Santa Ana and its a small area, now imagine this one? Ill be dead by then.

[@jaylay9524]

$130 billion dollars to connect Merced and Bakersfield (two cities that no one wants to go to) is an insane proposition. They could buy 3 million Teslas for public use and still have money to fund superchargers along the route to keep them charged. The ROI on this project is so insanely far out of pocket that corruption is the only viable explanation.

[@mathewferstl7042]

Lmao buy 3 million Tesla's, real musk rat over here

[@haakenhaakensen1569]

I voted for California HSR from SF to LA because I think it is a great idea. That was 16 years ago. At this stage it will be a pleasant surprise if anyone in my children's generation is able to go from nowhere to nowhere on a high speed train within California within their lifetimes. Contrast this with the Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge. Once the decision was made to do it, they just went ahead and did it. Quickly. This is not an engineering challenge but simply a failure of political will.

[@0Defensor0]

I think it was a mistake to start this project in the middle. Yes, it's the easiest to build in the valley, but relatively few people live there, so it's basically going from nowhere to nowhere. Meanwhile both ends have multiple large cities connected, so if those would have been done first, they could make much more profit than the middle section while the valley part is still under construction. The southern part could even have been connected to Vegas and make even more money, while we're waiting for the middle to finish.

[@mattpotter8725]

You can't really get from San Francisco to LA without the central section being built though can you? And I think without the votes from the Central Valley the project would have never have been approved. I do agree with you that it needs to be connected at one end as soon as is possible, probably San Francisco as geographically it's easier to do and you could complete it to say San Jose to at least allow onward journeys on other modes of transport in the Bay Area. I could be wrong but until SF is connected to CHSR in not sure connecting the Central Valley to Vegas is that much of a money spinner, although it did cross my mind as to whether you could connect the project up to the Brightline West project and run trains in to LA that way whilst the track through the mountains is being completed, although I doubt there are complications in doing this on many fronts.

[@ChrisJones-gx7fc]

CAHSR considered several routes for the initial segment, including LA-SD, but the Central Valley was chosen because the initial federal funding they received was required to be used there. It also provides the most realistic place that trains can be tested at up to 242 mph (10% beyond top revenue speed).

[@0Defensor0]

@@mattpotter8725 The valley part is definitely important, but I don't think it was the most important. You have Los Angeles and San Diego - two huge cities - on the south, and San Fransisco, San Jose and Sacramento on the north. Why did they decide that the first step of this project needs to be the Madera-Merced part? These two town's combined total population is smaller than the potential number or daily users of a high speed rail between either of the city groups. Almost like someone is sabotaging the project, to prove that trains just aren't profitable in the US.

[@mattpotter8725]

@@0Defensor0 I don't disagree with you, your totally right, however if you started building only the north part people in LA wouldn't be happy and I think the project would be put under pressure to either be changed or scrapped, the same is true if you started with the LA southern section. In the end the priority of the project is to connect LA to SF so by starting with the easiest/cheapest part that wouldn't piss off those in the other part of the state no one's nose would be put out of joint. I agree with your sentiment, it's not ideal but it does need building to be able to connect LA to SF and it is the part that can be built the quickest (even though it doesn't feel that way right now) and so it could be shown that progress was being made, as well as the least disruption to big population centers. You say that the Central Valley's population isn't that great but it's still around 4 million people and there are still some sizeable cities in the area (and that's not counting people who don't live inside an urban area) that are under developed and so maybe the reason people in these areas voted for the project was that it would benefit them earliest, although I do think until it's linked up to SF firstly and LA more difficultly the benefit isn't that great. I don't know the exact plans but I'm surprised the link up to Sacramento, the state capitol wasn't included in the first phase, bury I guess that was to keep the budget as low as possible.

[@danielcarroll3358]

When you say "few people live there" you must put it in context. For example, Fresno has a greater population than the largest city in the majority of these United States and Bakersfield is no small place either. Don't forget the electrification of the Northern end of the route from San Francisco to San José, which is mainly paid for by the high speed project and will be part of that project in future. The last several miles in San Francisco is mainly underground and is not part of the CAHSR project but will be used by it. The Transbay Joint Powers Authority has selected the AECOM-led Portal Connectors team to provide program management and construction management services for the project. In May the federal government committed to provide $3.4bn for tat project, which would cover around two-thirds of the projected cost.

[@osmanhossain676]

Yes 100%😮

[@leonwilson1405]

YES it will be completed just as many other huge projects that naysayers and skeptics commented on.

[@dylanstafforini9861]

You highlighted the wrong area for where Caltrain is. You show it going through Oakland and Fremont to San Jose…it’s ok the peninsula not the east bay.

[@shivambhadauriya]

Watch the video in 1.25x

[@joansparky4439]

1.6x here _(I use an add-on, can adjust in 0.1x increments or whatever I want)_

[@SR-bh5jd]

Sections will need upgrades before they can turn the lights on.

[@adrian_zombturtle148]

Did i miss something, or isint it common sense to start build at Los Angeles or Sanfransico

[@Zalis116]

It would make more sense, all things being equal. But building either of those segments will require some extremely expensive tunneling to get through the mountains near the two cities. So they started with the Central Valley segment through flatter, more open terrain.

[@jsn_alva]

Not sure if they would start full operation whether it starts in LA or San Fran., until it is complete.

[@stickynorth]

They should have done a P3 or farmed out the work to French or Chinese teams to build to faster, cheaper and better because America has no business reinventing the wheel when at least half the nation doesn't even believe in a round Earth.

[@onetwothreeabc]

Federal funds require you "buy America". If you want to use French or Chinese teams for construction, don't use federal funds.

[@pipiqiqi4010]

even the India will surpass you to have their own High-speed railway in 2027

[@KentBunn]

The map at 9:23 is wrong. It shows the route running along the East side of the SF Bay, not the West side. Caltrain runs on the East side, along the peninsula.

[@rafaeltorres2886]

If the State made this priority number one and asked for help from other countries / companies It would get completed much sooner.

[@rickydimas2674]

I wonder why that's cost to be expensive, as Indonesian i can imagine those $80-$128 billiion can be build HSR across Java-Bali loop line (our first HSR costing $7-$8 B) and even some line in Sumatra or Borneo, the cost of this Cali HSR fascinating me

[@daleviker5884]

Indonesian workers earn a pittance compared to American workers. What would your trains cost if you were paying American level wages to your workforce?

[@iflytango]

9 years later, and we have nothing. It took 6 years in the 1860's to build the transcontenental and it was 2000 miles long.

[@matthewowens1451]

nice! i think the train could me explore more than trying it with a car

[@christiantamme8514]

Naaa not the California government anyways. What's embarrassing that in the meantime and years after they started building it in California, Florida built a highspeed rail from Miami to Orlando via Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and West Palm Beach with future expansions in the works to Tampa and Jacksonville. And to top it of, the same company, brightline, is working on the train from Las Vegas to near San Bernadino? with future expansion to Los Angeles Union Station

[@WhyYouAskingMe]

Once this railway is completed it'll be about 10 minutes before California ruins it with taxpayer-funded free tickets for the homeless and illegal immigrants.

[@JoseChavez-dp2mn]

A ver cuando esté listo me toca subir para dar un cruce 😅

[@PHXPlanespotter]

The biggest obstacle to this project are the politicians themselves. Look at where the route was supposed to go before the pols got involved with each one wanting the route to go to their county seat. Making the route longer, with more curves and ultimately not really even an HSR when its all said and done. If you want it to work, It needs to be part privately and federally funded but😂 ultimately privately ran if it ever hopes to make any money and be viable over the car or airplanes.

[@wdp7128]

Perhaps my great grand children will get to see this HSR operational.. Not in my lifetime.

[@MarxistNurse]

The channel keeps repeating these brain dead statements like “it’s a big maybe that this project ever gets completed” and “a train to nowhere to nowhere” even though most of the design and environmental clearances (biggest delays) are complete and out of the way, and just to set the record straight: the Central Valley in California (nowhere to nowhere) feeds the nation and has millions of residents throughout the valley, more people living there than there are in the entire states of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, etc. all combined!!!!

[@josephpadula2283]

Yes and they are not likely to take the train . Even Gavin has given up on it . Ps I voted for the original project . Fraud and bait and switch From day one or utter incompetence , take your pick .

[@AllenGraetz]

There's nothing brain dead that saying a project that very well require another $100 billion in public funds may not get funded. US history is full of state level infrastructure projects that got started but never finished.

[@MarxistNurse]

@@AllenGraetz there are so many special interest groups in this shithole country that have been trying everything to stop the public of California’s iron will being done with the biggest public work project with what’s sure to be the biggest economic impact when complete, and ALL attempts have failed and will continue to because Californians will continue to demand the state gets the job done. Take a break from the crackpipe and all the propaganda you’re consuming from big car and plane companies jajaja

[@daleviker5884]

And no one is suggesting that Idaho, Montana or Wyoming would be justified in spending hundreds of billions on high speed rail either, so your point is about as intelligent as would be expected from someone with your name.

[@TheWarrior1256]

We missed ya, RE!

[@WestTown97]

I think they should’ve simultaneously built LA-IE-Vegas, LA-OC-SD, and San Jose-SF-Sac. LA-SF should’ve been last

[@potluckcookin]

I love trains, and I would love for California to get high speed rail, but at a price of 100 to 120 billion how much will the tickets have to cost to pay for it? The video makes a good point that it would be better for the government to spend billions on trains than wars, but how much debt are we really willing to saddle future generations with? It's a big moral question.

[@jlmark1852]

Brown's Folly 😂

[@god_when333]

America can't build a good public transport for its citizen yet can gave billion dollars of military donation to other countries😂 how come ya'll still letting your government do that you people? I'd be rioting tbh😂

[@Dkrpan59]

It would of if it went with a single rail at most of the system much cheaper

[@PHXPlanespotter]

Hey California, if you want this HSR to complete...then fund it yourselves and quit asking for federal aid. The rest of us dont want to pay for your train to nowhere!

[@patrisio3]

Probably 80% of Californians don't want to pay for the train to nowhere either.

[@daleviker5884]

The original Prop 1A was for a train costing $33B, to be finished by 2020 and 3/4 financed by private investment. All of those claims were fraudulent, but even then the vote passed at only 53%. A recent poll showed that only 40% of voters were in favour of going ahead from this point, even with $10B having been sunk. If the project was being put today, with no money invested and the truth being told, I doubt it would get even 25% support. That 25% would include the usual suspects who saturate these threads.

[@77space-vt8wi]

Say it completed and fully functioning. It's based on a misguided concept of "eventual-someday" usability. Check the office building occupancy in LA and San Francisco. Everything above the ground follow is vacant.with the internet there is no reason to congregate in a bunch of non productive offices when the employee effort can be done on via interlinking computers from a home office.

[@KiloFeenix]

The money being wasted on the high-speed rail should be used to fix the infrastructure of California creating more jobs in locations where people live effectively eliminating congestion on the roads.

[@DannyChean]

Short answer: No. Long answer: Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[@abhishekbhaskar6268]

By that time gujrat mumbai hi speed train will already become operational!!

[@Amoghavarsha.]

Lol even delhi ahmedabad phase 2 will also be completed in 2033

[@juanmontull8550]

15:26 That is the main problem with the US, they would rather spend Billions on wars and the military than on building a decent High-Speed Rail network or having a Universal Healthcare System.

[@pbcash7788]

They’ve spent billions and billions of dollars on this and gotten nowhere. Money isn’t a big issue here

[@PHXPlanespotter]

Who says we want universal health care...I've seen what that looks like in other countries...no thanks

[@juanmontull8550]

@@PHXPlanespotter I respect your opinion but at least here there is no bankruptcy for going to the doctor or having an operation, nor do you have to ask the patient what insurance he/she has before helping him/her, nor will anyone sue you for saving their life, something that happens in the U.S.

[@PHXPlanespotter]

@juanmontull8550 that's a misnomer...even with no insurance they have to treat you at the hospital...HAVE TO! Part of the doctors oath

[@Edward4Plantagenet]

USA need environmental clearance in desert 🏜️🏜️🏜️🏜️🏜️🏜️😂😂😂😂😂

[@frontrowviews]

This is not being completed within my lifetime

[@TinLeadHammer]

It is /ˈɡɪlˌrɔɪ/, not /ˈʤɪlˌrɔɪ/.

[@adrian_zombturtle148]

I dont get it, I can't read minecraft enchantment table

[@Zalis116]

@@adrian_zombturtle148 Put another way, "Gilroy is pronounced with a hard G (as in gift), not a soft G (as in generous)."

[@arxligion]

We don't really need high speed rail here in California, I mean it'd be nice but more nice would be just reasonably fast (100+mph) stuff that goes essentially everywhere like is done in czechia.. a couple months ago I took the San Joaquins train from the bay area to Bakersfield and rented a car there.. way easier than driving the whole way.. would be easier if they simply closed the gap to la, and later made speed improvements as demand permitted.. we need to reallocate some money from stupid programs that only benefit small portions of the population (and illegals, who dont pay the same taxes) to infrastructure and job-oriented education like trade schools

[@carlos10571]

Just have an all Mexican labor force. Speed up the completion date.

[@WesleyVicky-j8g]

Homenick Islands

[@jamesbondeson669]

The biggest boondoggle in California history, BY FAR!!!

[@hydronpowers9014]

At this point, just ask the Chinese to build it. They'll be finished in a year for a faction of the cost.

[@clayton97330]

Tofu dreg projects would never pass code in the US. Chinese would also never hire union labor, which is required in this case.

[@thepuncakian2024]

They could build it quick and cheap alright, but that infrastructure would most likely be falling apart in a decade and require a dumb amount of maintenance. China invested so heavily in HSR and other infrastructure projects almost purely to pump up their GDP. That's why they have so many extra buildings and so much barely used infrastructure. Gotta work smart when investing in infrastructure.

[@pipiqiqi4010]

@@thepuncakian2024 the earliest HSR in China has been operated for 20 years, and still operating normally. there isn't anything like you said falling apart in a decade.

[@thastayapongsak4422]

@@clayton97330 Tofu dreg projects are mostly done by private developers that live off local government subsidies. The high speed rail system in China is built and operated by state owned companies with much higher standards and regulations.

[@clayton97330]

@@thastayapongsak4422 they've already had serious issues with maintenance and safety, though.

[@LeonZhangCD]

so, it's from nowhere to nowhere, no doubt it'll go nowhere.

[@mpression1]

Maybe in 2124

[@rapunzel1701]

How about no aid for Ukraine. No aid for Israel. And no aid for CHSR. Deal?

[@udavster]

It will be finished by 2100💪

[@whataboutgirlsailor]

👍👍👍

[@dannystricklin225]

This project is such a scam and criminal charges should be filed against everyone involved and the project canceled.

[@eduardoforneck3335]

It'll probably be completed by 2040

[@Mike_Hunt-k7c]

If Brightline completes the Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga line before 2028, CAHSR should contract with them, and the project will be done in less than five years. This high-speed rail is taking too long and costing way too much to become profitable.

[@kilodeltaeight]

Profitability isn’t the point - connectivity is. We don’t expect roads to make money, why do trains need to? As to Brightline, their project is VERY different than CaHSR and faces far less obstacles - which is the only reason they’re able to do it. Unlike CalHSR, basically all the right of way is already owned by public agencies, so there are far less people to negotiate land purchases with. The trackage also largely sits in the middle of an Interstate freeway through a desert - making environmental clearance FAR easier. Comparing the two is ridiculous.

[@ainonainpg3d799]

.

[@SonalGupta-v9o]

Too many long long adds. Had to stop video and will no longer want to see anything from this channel. Cannot play this in background when your adds are 20 to 30 minutes long. Anything more than a few minutes. Really terrible

[@drcovell]

My primary concern is how to prevent a train from derailing at 100mph + during an earthquake: Regardless of the “Warning,” it takes TIME to come to a *full stop* for these 100+ ton loads!

[@dmnddog7417]

Ugh, Japan has been doing this since the 60's. They invented HSR. They get far more earthquakes than California.

[@alessandro7805]

Italy never had this problem and has High Speed rail since 1973

[@daleviker5884]

@@dmnddog7417 Your comment does not answer the poster's point. In the 2011 earthquake in Japan, one moving train did derail, but it was empty at the time. On another day that same train could have been carrying hundreds of passengers. All the precautions and quality engineering in the world (which I'm sure Japan has and California would have) cannot alter the fact that in a bad enough natural catastrophe, any man made structure will be at risk - be it railways, roads, buildings, bridges or whatever. The glib manner by which train fans insist that nothing can ever go wrong with trains is just embarrassing.