Economy Updated project canceled: California bullet train costs soar to $77 billion

[Rygu]

How long until there's poop piles on the tracks?

 

[b-hop]

Is this gonna be build with federal money? Would be ridiculous if so, the wall is way more important and cheap.

 

[G-19]

Who would have thought that large infrastructure projects through varied urban and rural environments across hundreds of miles could be so complicated?

Like most things things that are worth it in life, a lot of planing and work are required... you’re absolutely right with the above statement. However, another poster in here hit it on the head as well with the corruption comment. It’s the same bullshit with Boeing and all the other aerospace private contractor companies. We get absolutely ripped on these projects, even if they are for the better.

 

[Arkain2K]

To be fair will it be as frustrating as dealing with the airlines? Getting bumped, 2 hours to check in, nowhere to park, etc?

I say go for it and keep on building it. While it's going to be a ball-ache for the next decade or so, once it's built, I believe it'll be more useful than people are currently giving it credit. Sure, you can drive for maybe faster or cheaper, but there's something to be said about being able to get boozed up and enjoy the trip versus driving in traffic. You can also take a solid nap and show up at your destination energized rather than exhausted and pissed off.

I grew up in Las Vegas and I remember people talking about the train from Vegas to San Diego and man...that would be awesome for both cities.

My #1 concern is that it will never be self-sustainable business like advertised.

If they ever complete this white elephant, it's extremely likely that the rest of us will be forced to keep it on life support with our tax dollars for the rest of our lives.

 

[Renard]

80 billion is insane, not worth it one bit.

 

[usmctanker242]

My #1 concern is that it will never be self-sustainable business like advertised.

If they ever complete this white elephant, it's extremely likely that the rest of us will be forced to keep it on life support with our tax dollars for the rest of our lives.

Totally understand the concern and I guess I'm just looking at more as an interesting option rather than a "must have." Were I still living in Vegas it would make getting to San Diego / LA / further over a weekend not a problem at all. Lots of money going both ways certainly has an opportunity to grab a large number of customers. Either way I doubt it will ever be built and will likely go down as a solid plan of what not to do.

 

[MadSquabbles500]

The Desert Express black line going to LV looks sweet. I hear the traffic to LV from LA is terrible. Take an Uber to Victorville, get on train, get rental car in LV, and then vice versa. It make partying in LV that much more convenient.

If you give Fresno a stop to make Central Valley not feel left out, I at least give Bako a stop. There is a lot of traffic going south to Anaheim, and Fresno pretty far.

 

[andnowweknow]

Arguably the most corrupt and incompetent large government project in my lifetime.

Each politician who continues to support this project should be imprisoned.

Along with their families...in a new Auschwitz!

 

[ShadowRun]

I don’t get how this isn’t a bigger deal especially for a state, the funding for the wall which a lot of people in American want would probably cost less and was discussed a lot. Glad I don’t make money in CA

 

[Lord Commander Palis]

California bullet train costs soar to $77 billion, opening delayed
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/09/cali...g-delayed.html

The projected cost of California's bullet train from San Francisco to Los Angeles has jumped to $77 billion and the opening date has been pushed back four years to 2033, according to a business plan released Friday.

The two-year plan presented by the California High-Speed Rail Authority is the first under new chief executive Brian Kelly, who has promised more transparency about the project's challenges after years of cost increases and delays.
While the goal is to connect the two major cities, the new plan focuses primarily on opening track between San Francisco and the Central Valley, an agriculturally dominant, less-populated portion of inland California. That portion of track is now set to be finished by 2029, also marking a four-year delay, and significant challenges remain.

One of them is how to cross through a section of mountains — a critical segment to link Silicon Valley to the Central Valley. Rail officials are still working on how best to do that, Kelly wrote in the plan's introduction.

The $77 billion cost, a 20 per cent increase, is a baseline estimate, but Kelly also included high and low ranges in the plan based on potential risks.
It says 119 miles (192 kilometres) of track in the Central Valley is scheduled to open by 2022, which would make it the first operational segment. That's 14 years after voters approved a $10 billion bond for high-speed rail in November 2008.

A summary of the plan reviewed by The Associated Press offers limited details on the portion from Central Valley to Los Angeles. The agency hopes to complete all necessary environmental reviews for the entire line by 2022, a delay from initial timelines that planned for environmental clearance by 2017 for most parts of the track.
How to pay for the entire project remains "uncertain," Kelly said.

The state has spent $2.5 billion in federal stimulus money and has an additional $930 million in federal money on the table. That's on top of the $10 billion bond from voters.
The rest of the money comes from California's cap-and-trade auctions, a system meant to limit carbon emissions by selling credits to pollute and a volatile source of revenue that can be diverted by lawmakers in the future. Predicted private investment has not come in either.


***********************************************************************************************************************

Thats last paragraph is beyond troubling, thats a whole lot of carbon credits

Loling hard at the idiot voters only voting Democrap because they hate white people, think the democrap party isn't racist and has their best interests in mind.

Cali is ran by corrupt schmucks and the voter base is extremely low in IQ.

 

[Prutfis]

China and UAE are just building it now.

JAPAN has had this shit for over 40 years now!

Even the frogs have it.

 

[WTF2008]

They can afford it. They have fuck you money and don't need no federal government lol.

 

[xcvbn]

This thread getting bumped made me look at some cost numbers. Just some figures:

China: $20M/km
Europe: $40M/km
California: $100M/km

I fully understand China being half the cost of European trains, but it's absurd that the CA train will cost 2.5x a euro equivalent. It's proof there's several hands in the cookie jar. Funding needs to be pulled until costs come back down to $40b total(which is still $60M/km).

 

[WTF2008]

This thread getting bumped made me look at some cost numbers. Just some figures:

China: $20M/km
Europe: $40M/km
California: $100M/km

I fully understand China being half the cost of European trains, but it's absurd that the CA train will cost 2.5x a euro equivalent. It's proof there's several hands in the cookie jar. Funding needs to be pulled until costs come back down to $40b total(which is still $60M/km).

I'll try to look for the documentary again. But there is a company made up of lobbyists that literally does nothing but write bills for congress and they just have to sign.

It's hilarious that people laugh at conspiracy theorists when some of the worst government conspiracies are out in the open.

 

[Arkain2K]

I don’t get how this isn’t a bigger deal especially for a state, the funding for the wall which a lot of people in American want would probably cost less and was discussed a lot. Glad I don’t make money in CA

This is why whenever I hear fellow Californians railing against the millions of wasteful spending in DC by people they did not vote for, I politely reminds them that billions in our own money are being wasted right here right now, by the people that they DID voted for.

Priorities, priorities.

 

[oleDirtyBast4rd]

Who would have thought that large infrastructure projects through varied urban and rural environments across hundreds of miles could be so complicated?

Who would've thought it was a stupid fucking idea and there was no need for such a train.

 

[ShadowRun]

This is why whenever I hear fellow Californians railing against the millions of wasteful spending in DC by people they did not vote for, I politely reminds them that billions in our own money are being wasted right here right now, by the people that they DID voted for.

Priorities, priorities.

You produce the best threads in WR man please keep posting

 

[JonnyRingo84]

Typical project run by liberals. Uh doy what is dollars hur dur hurr. Please gives to us, too stupid to work.

so with your expertise in the field, ballpark what you think this project should cost for us.

 

[KeepItRealist]

It's California that's entirely run by progressives, what do you expect? Good fiscal governance?

 

[floivanus]

Loling hard at the idiot voters only voting Democrap because they hate white people, think the democrap party isn't racist and has their best interests in mind.

Cali is ran by corrupt schmucks and the voter base is extremely low in IQ.

don’t forget the free stuff.

My #1 concern is that it will never be self-sustainable business like advertised.

If they ever complete this white elephant, it's extremely likely that the rest of us will be forced to keep it on life support with our tax dollars for the rest of our lives.

at just under $100 a trip it sure as hell isn’t going to get as much use as it needs to pay for itself. Generally people who can afford that can use different avenues for travel.