Bill Gore, two “chicken trains” a day between SF and LA would carry MAYBE 5000 people each way. Even with conventional trains, that would be a massive cost (rework of system) for paltry ridership. And just far too slow for any “day trippers” such as myself. Planes still rule on that run — more so from SD to both SF and SAC.

From door to door, my SD to SAC “bus” run on SW Airlines takes 3 hours. 3.5 hours tops.

Well that might be the smart play but unfortunately it makes entirely too much sense. Perhaps if the horrific numbers involving the finances of this disaster finally wake up and spook some of Browns comrades into open revolt it might happen but I doubt it.
One thing about the D-Rats. They stick together like lemmings and all go over the cliff together no matter how crazed their leaders might be.
unchained.
What we are seeing is the real Jerry Brown- totally unhinged, delusional and unimpeded by having to worry about another election. And totally desperate. After four terms of office he has nothing to show for it except a state falling apart largely because of the anti-human policies he instituted.
I think we will have to pry the old coot’s false teeth from the cold steel rails of the HSR tracks after he dies.

San Diego airport is an obsolete hell hole with no growth potential. LAX is marginal. Sacramento and Oakland are insufficient. SF is just a plain toilet on all levels.

We need diverse, comprehensive transportation alternatives or economic growth kaput!

..or maybe the Gravy Train in honor to the pork fest this folly presents to all Jerry’s D-Rat friends.
But I prefer to call it the Brown Streak after its most ardent supporter Jerry Clown.
The man is a raving lunatic who is so desperate for a legacy that he has hitched his horse to this HSR delusional fantasy.
The Brown Streak moniker is fitting in that his legacy will never be more than a skid mark on the dirty shorts of history.

HSR = Hamhocks, Shoulder and Rump

But of course, that’s not how the proposition read, they promised high-speed rail throughout the state, I believe.

Spurwing is absolutely correct, nothing will stop the progressives from spending your dollars on useless projects.

Sure, speaking as a daily train commuter, I ride the Amtrak often – and it can hit upwards of 90mph on clear track.

Amtrak already sends several trains a day between SF and LA (and has links down to San Diego..)

If we simply double tracked existing lines where needed an set up “express trains” with fewer stops, we could get a train from LA to SF in four hours or less – which compares very comparably to air travel if one includes all the hassles and extra time needed to deal with that.

More frequent schedules would actually attract more ridership, which could then lower prices… And we’d be on our way to a real solution that works with existing infrastructure.

For a bullet train, something that ran along existing freight right of ways between LA and Las Vegas would actually be possible and make money, but then that would be “making sense”, which is not possible…