California High Speed Rail Visual Tour - High Quality

[promontorium]

I supported the HSR when it was a HSR. Now it's a slow train to nowhere gobbling up billions and accomplishing absolutely nothing. They have completely abandoned all their original plans. It won't be fast, it won't be cheap, it won't be a plane by time or cost. The people in charge have certainly gotten theirs, travelling the world staying in luxury hotels getting wined and dined by international players. Paying themselves hundreds of thousands of US taxpayer money.

[RedPanther1]

hey guy get this.....................FIRST CAME THE TRAIN IT BROUGHT BUSINESS.......THIS TRAIN WILL DO THE SAME BUT WAY FASTER.......................j­ust imagine being able to say "YEAH ILL MEET YOU IN L.A in 2 hours IF YOU LIVE IN SF....unbeliveible

[promontorium]

This will be the greatest thing California has done in over a century.

[scaremenga]

How so? That it costs 40 billion of our tax dollars?

[promontorium]

Great things cost money. Whoever invests in this, will see positive returns. The high speed rail is better than cars or airplanes for this distance. It can literally get from San Francisco to LA faster than a plane or car, and will invariably cost less. Even if you own your own car, you'd probably do better to rent one at your destination. It will be an engineering masterpiece, create many jobs, and unite California like never before.

[kshroyer74]

@scaremenga because all the jobs are outsourced through private businesses and bids for State and Government jobs are highly gauged. Money isn't coming out of the Politicians pocket, so why should they care! Same thing Meg Whitman wants to do for California....

[gibb1991]

@scaremenga Actually, no. $10 billion has been secured in private bonds (not taxes), a $2.3 billion grant came from the government (not as much as it sounds, about $7.60 per taxpayer). That's it. The rest will come from private investors and the profits from the private operator(s), which will pay off the rest of the rail line and produce a positive return for the bonds. In 10-15 years, the line will cease to have any involvement with the government and be owned by private companies.

[scaremenga]

@gibb1991 Thanks for that information. In that case, I support it. Job opportunities provided by this venture in addition to paying itself off in a relatively short time frame make it a good thing.

[berto3141]

@scaremenga Your naivete is most impressive. The very idea that this superexpensive project would "pay itself off in a relatively short time" is HILARIOUS, since it would operate in the red year after year. The current price tag is pegged at $43 billion but most serious estimates put the cost at around $100 billion. And people won't want to take it because they'll need cars at either end!

[scaremenga]

@berto3141 Meh... my opinion on the HSR project varies on a daily basis.

[promontorium]

@scaremenga I think I've been bamboozled. I admit, I fell for the HSR. I still want an HSR, and I think it would be the greatest thing in Calfornia, but I now realize the people in charge don't actually care.

[scaremenga]

@promontorium Two years later.. less than one thousand views. No. NOBODY cares.

[berto3141]

@scaremenga Ha, ha, ha: $40 billion? This thing would cost at least $100 billion to build and would operate at a loss, which would violate Prop. 1A.

[sideslide23]

they said the project would start in 2012

[kshroyer74]

@sideslide23 Don't expect it to, this project has been talked about for 20 years...

[sideslide23]

@kshroyer74 The New Station for the HSR in San Fransisco is underconstruction right now after they finish Demolishing the old one and it will searve the HSR allong with Buses and Caltrain.

[Jcholla]

Sorry, but this wont happen. The politicians in California are slower than turtles when it comes to things like this. And a track along the state's pampered coastline? Nope. Wont happen.

[XPeiraX]

Slower than turtles? What if the turtle was dropped by an eagle, then it would be fast.

[promontorium]

You mean like the Pacific Coast Highway? Where they literally ripped the coastline apart to build, and is now considered one of the most beautiful drives on Earth? I think it can be done.