California high speed rail may have an advantage

It is no surprise that California’s bonding authority approved last November, coupled with a developing plan for construction, is a strong contender among states seeking federal high speed rail money. Those ambitions have been edged a bit upward, according to this item in sgvtribune.com

This week Karen Rae, deputy administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, praised California voters’ approval in November of $9 billion in bonds for a high-speed rail project.

“California, by having the bond, has a step up,” Rae said.

Overall, the state’s high-speed rail authority is flush with billions in bond money and is poised to get billions more from the federal stimulus package. Now experts say California’s $45 billion bullet train project could be changing from a public-works pipe dream into a real possibility.

There is an interview on California HSR consultant Keith Jones recorded last week and posted here.

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Filed under: Regional USA Passenger Rail, United States High Speed Rail