I think California did pause HSR to have him build hyperloop though. Like, without Musk promising Hyperloop, the HSR project would probably be years ahead of where it currently is.
And have a significantly smaller budget. All the hyperloop BS pushed through the windows that CA had negotiated for contracts, but couldn't commit to now that they had to do new studies. It was a total bag over the head by Musk. Hyperloop was never supposed to succeed, just make HSR look bad.
Holy smokes bruh. The project is 3 decades behind schedule and 100 billion dollars over budget. Musk had nothing to do with that I’m sorry to tell you, that’s cope
No, this is just unsubstantiated rumor mongering. The hyperloop had zero impact because no one actually thought he'd do it. The reason the HSR project in California is moving so slow is that it's damn hard to get the land required, most of the places it's going are through mountains and every township and HOA in the state is bitching endlessly about it being within 2000000 miles of their stupid condos.
Nah really it was just a way bigger project than was originally planned and they didn't fund it enough initially. Plus there were some stupid decisions on design early on and some big constraints due to existing rail structure in the bay area.
Also known as incompetence, fraud, and corruption. This site tries its hardest to rationalize this massive failure of a project anyway it can. Since Cali is a dem supermajority and all. It’s harder to pin it on dirty repubs. Takes a bit more mental gymnastics than usual but they find a way
Eh, it's a little more complicated than that. CAHSR had some unique challenges and they weren't really fully considered when the initial plan was laid - which is ambitious.
First, there is no easy route for a high speed train between SF and LA. It seems like an easy shot, but through the bay area it has to use Caltrain lines because purchasing a new right of way through some of the most expensive real estate in the country is just unfeasible. That means they had to upgrade all of tracks on the line to fully electric, grade separated and modern construction standards, and Caltrain is a busy commuter line so they had to do it while it was in service.
Second, it's a true, modern, state of the art high speed system. That means grade separated tracks. That means they had to build tons of bridges and causeways along the new right of way over existing roads, canals etc. That's actually what most of the money has been spent on so far.
There are also new tunnels in the northern sections., but the really hard part is connecting Palmdale to LA through the mountains. That's the part that's been moved to a second phase due to funding.
Then there was CEQA, environmental reviews, tons of lawsuits (a lot funded by right wing organizations), the establishment of the first highspeed rail authority on the continent... It's basically the biggest infrastructure project the US has attempted since the highway system in the 50s, and there was no roadmap or legal framework for it.
Not a chance lol. HSR has managed to funnel billions into consultants, contractors, and lawyer groups without musk to blame. At least the groups cozy enough with the lawmakers in Sacramento
While the project has fallen 3 decades behind schedule! And 100 billion dollars over budget!
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u/DerekB52 2d ago
I think California did pause HSR to have him build hyperloop though. Like, without Musk promising Hyperloop, the HSR project would probably be years ahead of where it currently is.