It will never carry a single passenger.
It will be the world’s most expensive rail-to-trail conversion, having never conducted a single passenger train
“It will never carry a single passenger.”
What matters is that the quota for minority contractors is met.
“The issue is never the issue. The revolution is the issue.”
A freeway (I99) already connects the California vacation hotspots of Merced and Bakersfield, and the distance is a whopping 157 miles.
From an internet source: The quickest way to get from Bakersfield to Merced is to drive which costs $29 - $45 and takes 2h 42m.
Could the (cough, cough) high speed rail make up its billions of debt on this line?
First, trains are typically late. That's because they are trains, which generally run late.
Second, if someone in Merced wanted to get to Bakersfield really fast, the high speed rail involves a few more considerations. Parking, ticketing and security and baggage, all major time takers.
Then, when in Bakersfield, unless someone had business at the rail station, there's car rental or taxi fare (and more waiting and more cost.)
Cost? Ha ha ha. It would need to be subsidized by the state, and still would be many multiples of the $29-45 estimated range for car travel; and, if 2 or more traveled by the same car, the costs would be divided accordingly. Not so for train tickets.
As a once and former Citizen of Cali, with lots of liberal friends and fam and acquaintances, I've never once heard any of them say they actually want to ride on the bullet train.
Not one.
Slower, less reliable, more expensive. The California High-speed Rail is Democrat duplicity and deceit on parade.
Here's a question...
Who are the contractors who made $$$?
“It will never carry a single passenger.”
Not if they have casino and brothel cars on it. What am I leaving out?