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Browndoggle Update: New CA bullet train business plan will show higher costs |
2018-03-01 |
[SanDiegoUnionTribune] The California bullet train will take longer to build and cost more than previously estimated under a soon-to-be-released business plan, but plans to begin the project by linking the Bay Area to the Central Valley remain intact, according to the rail authority's new chief executive, Brian Kelly. Kelly, who took over leadership of the project Feb. 1, said in a wide-ranging interview that he plans to make transparent the challenges facing the project in an effort to bolster confidence that it can still be successfully executed. The rail authority will issue its 2018 business plan with the new cost estimates March 9. Kelly did not disclose the new price tag for completing the entire Los Angeles to San Francisco system, but he made clear that the $64-billion estimate from the 2016 business plan will change. Since the earlier estimate was unveiled, the state has confronted extended delays in buying land for a 119-mile segment in the Central Valley, encountered higher costs to build safety barriers where its tracks will run close to freight lines, sustained higher costs to move underground utilities and agreed to pay claims to construction firms whose work was delayed. The problems led to a disclosure last month that the 119 miles will cost $10.6 billion, up from the original estimate of about $6 billion. When that was unveiled at a rail authority board just days after Kelly took over, the authority did not say whether it would impact the total system price. "There will be a cost increase," Kelly said. "You cannot have that cost increase in the Central Valley without affecting the overall program cost." The new estimate will be given in a range of costs, reflecting "too many unknowns to be specific," he added. |
Posted by:Frank G |
#14 Lord Garth, what would they anticipate in ridership between Bakersfield and Fresno? 30% of nothing is still nothing. |
Posted by: Heriberto Ulung8215 2018-03-01 12:20 |
#13 but that may save the rest of the country hundreds of billions You are of course assuming pols learn from history. Sadly the only thing they may learn is 'My Husband/Wife can make millions on this contract!'. |
Posted by: CrazyFool 2018-03-01 12:02 |
#12 it may all be for the best once the first high speed trains from Bakersfield to Fresno start and ridership is only 30% of what was forecast, it may end the obsession with is essentially a 19th century technology on steroids of course it will cost $10B to do this but that may save the rest of the country hundreds of billions |
Posted by: lord garth 2018-03-01 11:53 |
#11 I suspect the test areas in central california are being built on land owned by Democrat relatives and such. By relatives and husbands of democrats. |
Posted by: CrazyFool 2018-03-01 11:34 |
#10 The way to do this properly would have been to build it above the California Aquaduct where they don't have to buy the land and deal with environmental reports. I suspect the test areas in central california are being built on land owned by Democrat relatives and such. |
Posted by: rjschwarz 2018-03-01 10:48 |
#9 Just like the bridge to nowhere. What is the business model really? Take two hours to get from the central valley to the Bay Area? Have to take shuttle buses from the end of the line into town? Have to pay $200 or $300 one way for a ticket? When you can fly from Ontario, Long Beach, Los Angeles or Burbank for $300 round trip? The only way this think becomes viable economically is for California to ban commuter flights between LA and SFO...of course given the mind set of these guys, banning plastic straws and grocery bags, they might try it. Who voted for this damn thing? Oops I forgot about the 5,000,000 illegals and dead that will vote for anything Democratic. Talk about a scandal. I wonder who is benefiting and what the end game is on this? |
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2018-03-01 10:16 |
#8 CF, scrap is always the option. |
Posted by: AlanC 2018-03-01 10:01 |
#7 Darth, don't worry. As long as Nancy Pelosi is in charge, the Federal government will be there to bail them out. |
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2018-03-01 09:58 |
#6 Prediction: They will spend almost a hundred billion, bankrupting the state before the project is cancelled. |
Posted by: DarthVader 2018-03-01 09:11 |
#5 I suspect it's so badly designed that China wouldn't want to have anything to do with it. |
Posted by: CrazyFool 2018-03-01 08:48 |
#4 #3 unfortunately very true. |
Posted by: Dale 2018-03-01 08:43 |
#3 After taking every tax payer dime they can they will end up selling it to China for nothing. |
Posted by: Ulaigum Ebbineng7056 2018-03-01 00:55 |
#2 The whole state is a train wreck. |
Posted by: newc 2018-03-01 00:47 |
#1 $89 million a mile. Who says California isn’t leading the nation ....in corruption and stupidity! YCMTSU. |
Posted by: NoMoreBS 2018-03-01 00:32 |