CAHSR Groundbreaking 'Delayed'

[The Davy Crockett]

From this San Jose Mercurt News article:

All year, the state billed the summer of 2013 as the season when California's biggest-ever public works project -- a $69 billion high-speed rail line -- would finally leave the station with a groundbreaking that has been decades in the making.

But with autumn arriving this weekend and no bulldozers in sight, rail officials for the first time have acknowledged it will be another "few months" before construction, which has already been delayed a year, begins.

The state still needs to buy more land and equipment, finish designs and hire workers, while a pair of lawsuits set to be decided in the coming months could even force more delays.

A date still hasn't been set for the formal ceremony marking the first shovel in the ground -- the moment when the project should finally seem more real for many dubious Californians, as billions of tax dollars begin flowing and steel starts going up.

Bullet train officials maintain they're meeting their schedule. They now say the start of construction they had promised was actually "shorthand" for initial prep work such as testing soil, surveying land and finishing designs. Those jobs began a month ago without fanfare.

 

[Nathanael]

Soil testing and surveying is important work, and it's boots on the ground; if that's happening, construction is happening.

 

[tp49]

This is a California government project. I expect nothing less than for it to take far longer than estimated and run far over budget.

 

[PRR 60]

Soil testing and surveying is important work, and it's boots on the ground; if that's happening, construction is happening.

Soil testing and surveying is part of final engineering. It does not necessarily indicate that "construction is happening."

 

[Texan Eagle]

If they are planning "groundbreaking" sometime this year, does this mean they have locked down the exact route? Maybe I missed out the news but can someone link to someplace that has finer details of the exact route, not just vague San Jose to Gilroy to Central Valley to Bakersfield to someplace in LA basin overview on CAHSR official site?

Also what about rolling stock? Have they locked down where are they ordering it from, how long the consists will be etc? I am no expert but as a layman I guess the length of trains and weight has to factor in somewhere in the construction design, no?

 

[AlanB]

If they are planning "groundbreaking" sometime this year, does this mean they have locked down the exact route? Maybe I missed out the news but can someone link to someplace that has finer details of the exact route, not just vague San Jose to Gilroy to Central Valley to Bakersfield to someplace in LA basin overview on CAHSR official site?

Also what about rolling stock? Have they locked down where are they ordering it from, how long the consists will be etc? I am no expert but as a layman I guess the length of trains and weight has to factor in somewhere in the construction design, no?

The route I believe is pretty well locked down.

I rather doubt that they've even seriously started looking for equipmnent, especially since the last time I heard they were just building the tracks at this time. I've heard nothing about electrification being installed.

 

[cirdan]

If they are planning "groundbreaking" sometime this year, does this mean they have locked down the exact route? Maybe I missed out the news but can someone link to someplace that has finer details of the exact route, not just vague San Jose to Gilroy to Central Valley to Bakersfield to someplace in LA basin overview on CAHSR official site?

Also what about rolling stock? Have they locked down where are they ordering it from, how long the consists will be etc? I am no expert but as a layman I guess the length of trains and weight has to factor in somewhere in the construction design, no?

The route I believe is pretty well locked down.

I rather doubt that they've even seriously started looking for equipmnent, especially since the last time I heard they were just building the tracks at this time. I've heard nothing about electrification being installed.

I understand the contracts signed at present do not even include track. The present contractors will build bridges, earthworks etc up to the point that they're ready for ballast and track. I assume the track itself will be a separate contract that will be awarded when construction work is sufficiently advanced. This division makes good sense as the civil engineering is not too different from highway construction so there are more companies out there with the necessary capability and know how.

Even after the track is finished, the line will not be electrified immediately. The tracks will initially be used by existing Amtrak services that will be diverted onto it. The initial segment is onyl 40 miles or so and electrifying a standalone section of 40 miles makes little sense. As further phases are completed, electrification will be tackled as and when its usage makes sense.

In terms of rolling stock, I understand that CAHSR is working with Amtrak for a joint procurement with the second generation Acela trains.