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The original estimated cost of the California High Speed Rail Project (CHSRP) was $32 billion.  Eventually, due to adjustments, the estimate reached nearly $98 billion before the projects promoters realized that the estimated construction costs, together with the ridership projections, travel times, operating costs, etc. were out of control.  Now, as I understand it, the construction cost projections have been pulled back to $68 billion before debt service costs. Depending on the financial arrangements, the construction costs, including financing, could be as high as $120 billion.   Pulling back the construction costs means that the end point to end point running times will be longer than originally estimated due to lowered infrastructure capacities. What are the new estimated running times from Los Angeles to San Francisco? Moreover, why would a business person opt for a train when he or she could fly from LAX or one of the other area airports to SFO in approximately one hour and fifteen minutes.  The current Southwest Airlines fares range from $78 for a web only fare to $206 for a walk-up business select fare.   True, people have to get to the airport. Southwest operates from four airports in the LA basin and serves three airports in the bay area. Accordingly, most people could probably get to one of the four airports pretty quickly. It is equally true that people would have to get to the railroad station. Whether the time to get to the station, expect for those people who live downtown or near downtown, is less than the time to get to the airport would depend on the starting point.   Quick, frequent, dependable, and economical rail service from points 200 miles or thereabouts from LAX, SFO, Sacramento, etc. make sense and, given the right dynamics, could cover its operating costs. Moreover, if all modes of transport were placed on a level playing field, i.e. no non-recoverably subsidies, as I have advocated, the rail service could be hoisted by private enterprise, providing the operators could deploy modern management, technical, and employee relations practices. Notice that I am not saying that there should be no rail service. My argument is that moderate speed rail service from the points noted in the previous paragraph make sense. But a train from LAX to SFO does not make a lot of sense, even if it only takes twice as long to cover the distance as a jet airplane.
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