California High-Speed Rail (CAHSR) System

It's true that the 2021 (not 2022, can't believe it's already been so long) bill mostly authorized, rather than appropriated, funds for infrastructure programs.

That said, the appropriations for 2022 have already happened. You can see the FRA's page on applying for grants here: https://railroads.dot.gov/federal-state ... -passenger

I presume this is what CAHSR applied for. There's a grand total of $2.2B in funding available (and already appropriated for FY22) and applications are due March 7, 2023. So, indeed, the current Congress has no bearing on this, even if I got the details of why that's the case wrong.

So.... CAHSR wants half that $2.2B non-NEC pot to themselves?

Meanwhile, corridor starts that could be in actual service by 2023/2024 like the Gulf Cost Flyer NOL-MOB, or adds like MKE-GRB, CHI-DBQ and a second CHI-MSP have to fight for the remaining table scraps.

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Obviously every agency is going to request as much as possible. Time will tell what will actually be awarded.

Q&A: https://sf.streetsblog.org/2023/02/27/q ... il-update/

With the remainder of Prop. 1A's state funds now safely in hand, California's High-speed Rail project is competing for federal funds while it continues design work for the Phase 1, Anaheim to San Francisco system. And construction continues on the nearly 120-mile Central Valley spine of the project. On Monday, Northern California Director for the California High-Speed Rail Authority Boris Lipkin was giving a Caltrain corridor tour to new CAHSRA employees. Caltrain will one day share that corridor with high-speed trains between San Jose and San Francisco. Streetsblog was invited for a quick update interview session at the Salesforce Transit Center, part of that tour, and the future station for bullet trains arriving and departing from throughout the state.
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More cost overruns: https://calmatters.org/transportation/2 ... peed-rail/

When Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his scaled down blueprint for the California bullet train four years ago, he proposed building a 171-mile starter segment in the Central Valley that would begin operating in 2030 and cost $22.8 billion.

Today, the blueprint is fraying — costs now exceed future funding, an official estimate of future ridership has dropped by 25%, and the schedule to start to carry people is slipping. That’s raising fresh concerns about the future of the nation’s largest infrastructure project.

New cost figures issued in an update report from the California High-Speed Rail Authority show that the plan to build the 171-mile initial segment has shot up to a high of $35 billion, exceeding secured funding by $10 billion.
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20% of the increase is inflation and 37% is "contingencies" (how I hate that line item in contracts). The remainder is apparently due to alignment changes, which it seems insane to be still doing at this stage of the project.

https://californiaglobe.com/articles/lo ... rship/amp/

Longer and Harder: High Speed Rail’s Latest Plan Adds Time, Reduces Ridership
The HSRA cares more about its ‘partners’ than the people of the state

Not exactly known for its adherence to timelines and budget, California’s High Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) recently released its 2023 project update that – again – adjusts both.

While the timing changes are small – the Merced to Bakersfield segment is now – at best – slated to start carrying passengers in late 2030, the budgetary modifications are more significant.

The HSRA is about $8 billion short to finish that same segment. While it seems to have a financial handle-ish on the current building from Shafter to Madera, it still needs to find the cash to build the “connections” from Shafter to Bakersfield and from Madera to Merced.
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I had never heard of the California Globe in my life. Draw your own conclusions: https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/california-globe/

The comment about "partners" is bogus, obviously CAHSR needs to spend the federal money or else they are on the hook for repaying it.

Even addressing a completely unrelated topic,
The Journal's Editorial Board could not miss an opportunity to "get in a snipe".

https://jalopnik.com/flooding-water-new ... 1850295618

Water Is Latest Hurdle in California’s High Speed Rail Construction
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Flood waters have inundated sections of the rail construction in King and Tulare counties — part of the larger 65 mile section that stretches from Fresno to the county lines. Aerial footage shared to the Tulare County Sheriff’s social media accounts shows the extent — with so much water that construction vehicles haven gotten stuck at sites.

Garth Fernandez, head of the Central Valley High Speed Rail Agency spoke about some of the struggles at the sites in an interview with The Bee.

“There’s a lot of work we can’t get to. So at Tule River and Deer Creek, right now we are not working. … We don’t even have access to that (Deer Creek) site right now because it’s all under water,” he said.
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Brings up question. Does this mean any CA HSR lines will be flooded when in operation?

west point wrote: ↑Thu Apr 06, 2023 3:50 am Brings up question. Does this mean any CA HSR lines will be flooded when in operation?

Much of the right of way is somewhat higher than the surrounding terrain. If you look at aerial photos (such as in Google Earth), you can see some of the culverts that run across and underneath the ROW. They did plan for a certain level of potential flooding. I do not know however if the recent flooding can be considered typical for the area.

west point wrote: ↑Thu Apr 06, 2023 3:50 am Brings up question. Does this mean any CA HSR lines will be flooded when in operation?

The way I read the article, the issue is moving equipment in a flooded area, whereas the tracks will be on a viaduct and not subject to flooding.

https://sfyimby.com/2023/05/design-reve ... tions.html

Design Revealed For Central Valley High Speed Rail Stations

New illustrations have been revealed for the design template of four stations along California’s high speed rail in the Central Valley. Foster + Partners and ARUP are responsible for the project. The Central Valley line is part of the first phase of construction for the highly-anticipated infrastructure project to connect Los Angeles to San Francisco.
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I get that it's california, but it does rain there. what's with the metal mesh everywhere? probably expensive as hell too.