Passenger Trains > Cal bullet train plan brings $800 million overruns, big delays

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https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-02-22/california-bullet-train-dragados-design-changes

Good article.
In my working life, I often was responsible for the financial control of small government infrastructure and housing projects. $.5 million to about $7.5 million.
If I had stuff like this happen, I'd be embarrassed and ashamed. But these folks apparently don't frigging care! It's all part of the game.

TJY

 

Now the COVID 19 relief package has an extra 100 million in more pork added to relief , not sure how that happens, this whole thing needs to be shut down, right now they will only have a single track. If I had managed they way the managed this fiasco I would have been terminated . The whole authority needs to be dismissed and investigated for malfeasance and its just keeps getting worse each day.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Posted from Android

Wasn't there a thread about this very subject just last week?

That was last week, how soon some forget.

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wasn't there a thread about this very subject just
> last week?

cctgm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Now the COVID 19 relief package has an extra 100
> million in more pork added to relief , not sure
> how that happens, this whole thing needs to be
> shut down, right now they will only have a single
> track. If I had managed they way the managed this
> fiasco I would have been terminated . The whole
> authority needs to be dismissed and investigated
> for malfeasance and its just keeps getting worse
> each day.


Careful, ptd will get mad

Posted from Android

SP4360 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That was last week, how soon some forget.
>
> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Wasn't there a thread about this very subject
> just
> > last week?

The previous article focused on the possibility of single-tracking portions of the line to save money. This LA Times article is more about the low bidder (by a mere 1/2 billion $) cutting corners and submitting hundreds of change orders on the project, mostly down in the Kings County part of the San Joaquin Valley..

TJY

PHall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wasn't there a thread about this very subject just
> last week?

Read the LA TImes article and you will find that it describes yet another problem/issue with the construction of the high speed rail line. I think the LA Times is doing a public service by its in-depth reporting. I believe that the CaHSR authority and its defenders feel that the reporter is biased but I have to see much in the way that debunks these reports.

So yes there may be a thread every week but it often involves yet another problem with the project. Last week's thread may have had to do with the silly idea of making this a single track route.

WP17 - who wishes they were building CaHSR the right way along the right route

WP17 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Read the LA TImes article and you will find that
> it describes yet another problem/issue with the
> construction of the high speed rail line. I think
> the LA Times is doing a public service by its
> in-depth reporting. I believe that the CaHSR
> authority and its defenders feel that the reporter
> is biased but I have to see much in the way that
> debunks these reports.

Ralph Vartabedian is the author, and he's been following the CA HSR debacle for many years already. Let people call him biased. I still think he's doing a good job of reporting.

My "bias" against CA HSR mismanagement came about independently from his articles, but it's nice to see a good journalist enforce my "bias."

And if CA HSR wants to build a single track railroad, let them do it. People who gave us the dumb rhetoric comparing the project to the "greatness" of our Transcontinental Railroad should note that it was also built single-track. (laughing)
 

You know, just think how wonderful the California HSR project would be if all of the "experts" here on Train Orders were in charge!!!

cchan006 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> And if CA HSR wants to build a single track
> railroad, let them do it. People who gave us the
> dumb rhetoric comparing the project to the
> "greatness" of our Transcontinental Railroad
> should note that it was also built single-track.
> (laughing)
>  

Switzerland ran out of money for the Loetchberg Base Tunnel project before completing it, so the 13 north miles were left single track.

TAW

At 115.9 million-per-mile, the experts on TrainOrders deserve consulting fees.
—Mac

cctgm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Now the COVID 19 relief package has an extra 100
> million in more pork added to relief , not sure
> how that happens, this whole thing needs to be
> shut down, right now they will only have a single
> track. If I had managed they way the managed this
> fiasco I would have been terminated . The whole
> authority needs to be dismissed and investigated
> for malfeasance and its just keeps getting worse
> each day.

As a California taxpayer, and rail advocate, I agree ! The money that has been wasted could have done wonders for improving our conventional statewide rail system.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/21 21:59 by SanDiegan.

WP17 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Wasn't there a thread about this very subject
> just
> > last week?
>
> Read the LA TImes article and you will find that
> it describes yet another problem/issue with the
> construction of the high speed rail line. I think
> the LA Times is doing a public service by its
> in-depth reporting. I believe that the CaHSR
> authority and its defenders feel that the reporter
> is biased but I have to see much in the way that
> debunks these reports.
>
> So yes there may be a thread every week but it
> often involves yet another problem with the
> project. Last week's thread may have had to do
> with the silly idea of making this a single track
> route.
>
> WP17 - who wishes they were building CaHSR the
> right way along the right route

Opposing views are threatening to some people. That's why we now have to have "safe spaces" ;-)

Recall in 2008, CA HSR was sold to the voters by promising to link San Diego, LA, and the Bay Area for a cost of $33 Billion and to be operational in 2020.  In 2021, we're now promised pathetic service between Shafter and Merced for a ridership that doesn't exist, and not one inch of mainline track has been laid.
GK 

cchan006 Wrote:

> Ralph Vartabedian is the author, and he's been
> following the CA HSR debacle for many years
> already. Let people call him biased. I still think
> he's doing a good job of reporting.

Criticism is good if it's honest.  I've pointed out factual errors in Mr. V's reporting before, after you brought him up a few months ago and I started reading his stuff.  If I can spot the errors, then so could he have.
After almost 30 years in design and construction, I can say that every problem reportedly encountered on CAHSR, I've seen before on another project.

The cost of CAHSR was grossly underestimated, but there is no evidence that project quality is less than that of the average public or private project.  At least CAHSR could end up being a good thing in the long run.  BART was featured in the book "Great Planning Disasters" but it is useful now.  
Contrast CAHSR to the amount of fraud in the first CARES act, which dwarfs any transit project's budget in the country and does no good at all.

I have been looking for even miles of ROW graded and can't find that. Thank you for that number, disappointing as it may be.
—Mac

TheNavigator Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Recall in 2008, CA HSR was sold to the voters by
> promising to link San Diego, LA, and the Bay Area
> for a cost of $33 Billion and to be operational in
> 2020.  In 2021, we're now promised pathetic
> service between Shafter and Merced for a ridership
> that doesn't exist, and not one inch of mainline
> track has been laid.
> GK 

SanDiegan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> cctgm Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Now the COVID 19 relief package has an extra
> 100
> > million in more pork added to relief , not sure
> > how that happens, this whole thing needs to be
> > shut down, right now they will only have a
> single
> > track. If I had managed they way the managed
> this
> > fiasco I would have been terminated . The whole
> > authority needs to be dismissed and
> investigated
> > for malfeasance and its just keeps getting
> worse
> > each day.
>
> As a California taxpayer, and rail advocate, I
> agree ! The money that has been wasted could have
> done wonders for improving our conventional
> statewide rail system.

It was a joke after they said it was gonna be profitable and no tax payer dollars will be needed, 2008 it passes, 10 years of legal battles, and then this and that, I'd still say it will always be a PIPE DREAM!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/21 21:55 by ProAmtrak.

On a somewhat related tangent even Bill Mahr made comments on his show recently on how nothing can get done in California any more, it was taking him literally YEARS to build a utility shed on his property because of all the red tape.
DrKnow:
Sitting in the peanut gallery a thousand miles away.

Posted from iPhone