Railroaders' Nostalgia > Mad Dog Chronicle # 313 Cal HSR

There is an article in today's LA Times... UP Allegedly Slowing HSR Progress...  And a thread on the Passenger Trains Discussion forum today. We will talk about this and I will share some of my personal experiences and some observations.
Many  of you know that I have been deeply involved in this project, some would say boondoggle, almost since its beginnings.
First at the SP and then at The UP, and since 2004 until a year ago as an employee of one of the major engineering consultants
employed under contract with the Cal HSR agency. There are lots of bones buried here.  I can show you where they are buried!

To make a long and continuing story short.... I could say to many of the players :  I warned you repeatedly,  to bad that you did not choose to listen.
 

In other words, same old story, again...   Not the first time and certainly not the last.

No kidding!

PHall Wrote:
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> In other words, same old story, again...   Not
> the first time and certainly not the last.

unfortunately, so sad and so true.  It has been a rampant syndrome of this particular agency and of their consultants.
Don't confuse me with facts,  You are just playing hard to get to raise the row price.  You could change your longstanding policy if you weren't so negative, you are just being uncooperative.  You don't understand the politics here, Yata, Yata, yata

there were times when  I was convinced that the consultants were telling the Executive director not to tak with the Railroads, whom they needed to partner with,  They needed our cooperation, yet avoided meeting with us.  I believe one consulting firm was miss- advising the agency and did not want us to set the client straight,  thus prolonging their work and keeping the meter running.

we will cover some well known names here.  Quentin Kopp.  Mehidi Morshed,  Rod Diredon, the California CTC,  the Cal Business Housing and transportation Agency. To mention just a few
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/18 18:00 by mdo.

This discussion started on this forum (passenger) triggered by the post below pointing to the Times article.
However, mad dog Chronicles belong on the Rail Nostalgia forum and expect this one to move over there   



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/18 07:26 by mdo.

mdo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > In other words, same old story, again... 
>  Not
> > the first time and certainly not the last.
>
> unfortunately, so sad and so true.  It has been a
> rampant syndrome of this particular agency and of
> their consultants.
> Don't confuse me with facts,  You are just
> playing hard to get to raise the row price.  You
> could change your longstanding policy if you
> weren't so negative, you are just being
> uncooperative.  You don't understand the politics
> here, Yata, Yata, yata
>
> there were times when  I was convinced that the
> consultants were telling the Executive director
> not to tak with the Railroads, whom they needed to
> partner with,  They needed our cooperation, yet
> avoided meeting with us.  I believe one
> consulting firm was miss- advising the agency and
> did not want us to set the client straight,  thus
> prolonging their work and keeping the meter
> running.
>
This outrageous boondoggle has kept so many meters spinning they could power the state if they were harnessed. This has been one gigantic trough of our tax money going to so many lawyers and consultants—-yes, you too got your share—-while trying to put clothes on the emperor with those stonehenge overpasses in the middle of nowhere—— what fools we mortals be! A pox on all the CHSR people and the horses they rode in on. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡
C







> we will cover some well known names here.
>  Quentin Kopp.  Mehidi Morshed,  the California
> CTC,  the Cal Business Housing and transportation
> Agency. To mention just a few


>  

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

California high speed will never be high speewd. I certainly hope the Union Pacific prevails. HSR will leave long lasting scar on the countryaide. Maybe in another hundred years it might be needed -- but not now. Cut all the politicians money pot now  --  we don't need it.

Watts local

Great keep plowing all tha CA money into mega-highway projects!! I’m way too familiar with one in OC that is spending a several hundred million $ to add ONE lane in each direction.

Posted from iPhone

The real problem is there are to many people now in the state. Need a couple of big quakes to either drive them out to another state or to another country

Posted from iPhone

CPRR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The real problem is there are to many people now
> in the state. Need a couple of big quakes to
> either drive them out to another state or to
> another country
>
> Posted from iPhone

Truer words were never spoken, that's why I moved to another state.

Population of California, 2016 estimate, 39 million
Population of the entire country of Canada, 35 million.

Nuff said..

That's the ticket, knock a bunch of overpasses down and let them walk :)

CPRR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The real problem is there are to many people now
> in the state. Need a couple of big quakes to
> either drive them out to another state or to
> another country
>
> Posted from iPhone

kevink Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great keep plowing all tha CA money into
> mega-highway projects!! I’m way too familiar
> with one in OC that is spending a several hundred
> million $ to add ONE lane in each direction.
>
> Posted from iPhone

Yeah, adding lanes to a road in a built up area tends to be expensive. Developed property needs to be brought and that's never cheap.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Yeah, adding lanes to a road in a built up area
> tends to be expensive. Developed property needs to
> be brought and that's never cheap.

Not the case in the segments, I'm working on. Lots of new retaining walls and some construction easements to build them. For the most part, everything is within the existing right of way.

More, please, kind sir. . . . .!!!

Guess my telegraph key is broken...where is this story posted ??

> Truer words were never spoken, that's why I moved
> to another state.
>
> Population of California, 2016 estimate, 39
> million
> Population of the entire country of Canada, 35
> million.
>
> Nuff said..

Would not mind going back, as I'm a dual citizen with the US.  Alas, wife does not like the weather (we lived in one the Atlantic provinces) and most of her family is in California.  Canada's healthcare is superior; I'm on Medicare now and would love to have my Canadian plan back, instantly.

mundo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Guess my telegraph key is broken...where is this
> story posted ??

He's only just announced that he is working on this.  So eventually it will be posted in the Railroaders' Forum, as he said.

In the meantime I can give everyone one of the punch lines:  there is not now nor has there ever been room to allow CHSR to use any part of the UP right of way between Gilroy and San Jose.  The exposure to catastrophic incidents is too great and actual incidents have proved that in real life. UP has delivered the message very clearly and consistently ever since the decision was made that CHSR would run via Pacheco Pass. Of course there will be overruns while CHSR delays passing on the news to the people of California that a new right of way will have to be assembled at a cost far in excess of what is now estimated to share the UP right of way.  

UP is not being unreasonable here.  No freight railroad should take on that type of exposure.  

rdb

RollinB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In the meantime I can give everyone one of the
> punch lines:  there is not now nor has there ever
> been room to allow CHSR to use any part of the UP
> right of way between Gilroy and San Jose.  The
> exposure to catastrophic incidents is too great
> and actual incidents have proved that in real
> life. UP has delivered the message very clearly
> and consistently ever since the decision was made
> that CHSR would run via Pacheco Pass. Of course
> there will be overruns while CHSR delays passing
> on the news to the people of California that a new
> right of way will have to be assembled at a cost
> far in excess of what is now estimated to share
> the UP right of way.  
>
> UP is not being unreasonable here.  No freight
> railroad should take on that type of exposure.  
>
> rdb

Awwwww, Rollin, we cant forget that 7000 space parking garage planned for Gilroy!!! Whatever. will they do with it if the CHSR has to go over Altamont?  😀
C 

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA