Trump Targets $128B California High-Speed Rail Project | Hacker News Reader

Trump Targets $128B California High-Speed Rail Project

bloomberg.com

5 points1024core8 comments

That is ~$164 million per mile, compared to Japan's ~$35 million per mile, which is considered quite expensive due to so much being through tunnels.

https://www.railjournal.com/in_depth/hokkaido-shinkansen-pre...

In 2008, the California High-Speed Rail Authority estimated the initiative would cost $33 billion and begin service by 2020, and voters approved $9 billion of bonds for the project. . . Meanwhile, the current cost estimate ranges from $89 billion to $128 billion, according to the authority.

and have they built anything yet?

It will take another 150 years to finish.

Yes- for political reasons, they chose to build a small segment in the middle of the central valley. It will connect Merced to Bakersfield. They started building it, but didn't finish (it's on hold due to budget constraints). I think they've built a few bridges, prepped the ground, but not really started laying track yet.

Maybe they should also buy a hyperloop :D

For political reasons, but that's the least expensive and least technically risky portion. The portion back into LA and the portion back into SF are going to make the prices they're paying for this easy section pale in comparison.

They're hoping the sunk cost fallacy will get them the money they will need on the hard parts.

Newsom should be thankful for this opportunity to end the nightmare of HSR once and for all and blame it on Trump!

HSR is now the greatest infrastructure boondoggle in US history, and its "record" will get worse the longer it goes on.

HSR has already failed. No matter what happens with it from this time forward, the project is the worst infrastructure failure in US history.

I dare Newsom to put it to a new Proposition; you wouldn't even get 10% of Californians wanting to keep it alive.

Just kill it already! You can blame Trump!

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