Will Calfornia's Planned Bullet Train Ever Make It To Reality?

Will California really have its very own high-speed bullet train? Recent setbacks have made some Californians wary of the project's success, but according to recent reports, the project will push through.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSR) project is the legacy project of Governor Jerry Brown. Total amount needed for the completion of the said project is $64 billion, and when completed, it will connect California to San Francisco via a high-speed train.

The project was first proposed and approved by voters on 2008, but it was initially supposed to be a three-way funding by the state, federal government, and private investors. Everything was going smoothly as planned until recently elected president Donald Trump delayed a $637 million grant that was supposed to be for the electrifying of the Caltrain commuter rail service.

Although not admitted by the Trump administration, many observers thought that the delaying of the grant was a result of Trump's "political retribution" against California. Without the electrifying of Caltrain, the "blended" bullet train system is not possible.

According to fresnobee: "Republican congressmen opposed to the bullet train had attacked the grant, knowing that without it, the $2 billon electrification project could die, and along with it, the larger system."

"The $2.3 billion that the bullet train report boasts of spending is virtually all federal money, part of a $3.48 billion grant by the Obama administration for the $7.8 billion San Joaquin Valley segment. The state was supposed to match the federal grant but has not put up its share yet thanks to a waiver, but sooner or later will be on the hook."

Despite this major setback, the finance department of Governor Brown announced that the project is ready to lay some tracks. The funding in place was due to the approval of the administration to spend $2.6 billion to lay its first tracks in Central Valley.

Because of this, the CHSRA is now able to ask the state treasurer's office to sell a portion of the nearly $10 billion in bonds voters approved in 2008. The 29-mile track won't be finished until August 2019.