The bad news is that it has taken over $10 billion for folks to realize the train to nowhere was the gravy train for greedy corporations, politicians and unions. It was never meant to be completed—it was meant to assure riches for some at the expense of all Californians.
“On Thursday, the HSRA provided a project update, which included a few remarkable takeaways.
First, the initial stretch being worked on to link Bakersfield and Merced probably won’t even be ready by 2030, as the rail authority said would be the case last year.
Now, the HSRA says that segment could be operational sometime between 2030 and 2033.
For reference, when voters were pitched a bond measure to finance the high-speed rail project back in 2008, they were told the bullet train would be ready to go by 2020. Instead, Californians can expect to be able to take the bullet train from Bakersfield to Merced if they really, really want to. In 10 years.
But that’s not all. Now, the HSRA expects the bullet train project will cost upward of $128 billion, a 13% increase from estimates given last year.
The total cost, if completed, will be over $200 billion—with NO money to operate the rider less gravy train. This scam needs to be stopped now. At least the Feds are refusing to give us more money.
California’s bullet train almost seems designed to discredit state government
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD, Daily Breeze, 3/4/23
This won’t come as a shock, but the California High Speed Rail Authority has once again admitted the bullet train will cost even more than expected and will probably be delayed another few years.
On Thursday, the HSRA provided a project update, which included a few remarkable takeaways.
First, the initial stretch being worked on to link Bakersfield and Merced probably won’t even be ready by 2030, as the rail authority said would be the case last year.
Now, the HSRA says that segment could be operational sometime between 2030 and 2033.
For reference, when voters were pitched a bond measure to finance the high-speed rail project back in 2008, they were told the bullet train would be ready to go by 2020. Instead, Californians can expect to be able to take the bullet train from Bakersfield to Merced if they really, really want to. In 10 years.
But that’s not all. Now, the HSRA expects the bullet train project will cost upward of $128 billion, a 13% increase from estimates given last year.
For reference, when the bullet train was being championed in 2008, Californians were told the bullet train project would cost as little as $33 billion to link Los Angeles and San Francisco.
That’s less than the current cost to build the Bakersfield to Merced line.
In other words, Californians were promised a $33 billion project linking Los Angeles and San Francisco but for $35.3 billion they might end up with a Bakersfield to Merced train sometime in 2030 to 2033.
Obviously, if history is any indication, we’ll see even further delays, controversies and problems that will further underscore how absurd it is that California officials want to keep pressing on.
As this editorial board has said repeatedly for years, it is time for state lawmakers to speak up loudly and clearly against this total disaster of a project.
Enough.
