CA HSR Being single tracked

[rdamon]

High-speed rail to run on a single track in Central Valley as overall cost rises

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-02-10/high-speed-rail-central-valley-single-track-rising-cost

"The California High Speed Rail Authority said it would not install two tracks on the Bakersfield-to-Merced route, as previously planned. The rail authority expects to save $1.1 billion on the eliminated track, according to the business plan, though it will ultimately depend on the bids it receives on future contracts."

[Paul Milenkovic]

Timetable and train orders or will they use track warrants?

Or maybe the "staff" system used in Australia?

[rdamon]

PTC = Pass The Coin (Token)?

[Overmod]

This is great for Elon Musk -- tailor made for Hyperloop in the remaining  expensively leveled grading.

Or we could run BRT with Obama's old Velocibus equipment on the other side...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QNixDlRoMvA

I see nothing but opportunity here.

[York1]

Maybe there's actually hope for HSR in the U.S.

We can use the California train as the model of how everything should not be done.  If other states just do the opposite of what California has done, they should be able to accomplish something.

 

State bullet train delays 'beyond comprehension,' contractor says in blistering letter (yahoo.com)

 

[GERALD L MCFARLANE JR]

Paul Milenkovic

Timetable and train orders or will they use track warrants?

Or maybe the "staff" system used in Australia?

Without reading the attached article from the LA Times(not exactly a newspaper I agree with) I'm sure they left out the mention of passing sidings at select locations.  Of course, if I was the state auditor I'd question why bother saving $1.1 Billion out of a $90 Billion dollar project, it's not worth the savings.

[BEAUSABRE]

Let me give an MBA's perspective

1) Don't let it be built or operated by the government. Government is owned by the consultants, contractors and unions (California has had to hire consultants to run  the consultants, there's so many of them). Remember "The Bridge to Nowhere". Government will always be in favor of HSR - whether there is a demand or not - as it gives it an opportunity to do what it loves best, spend other peoples' money

2) If there is need (demand) for HSR between two or more points, private enterprise will see the opportunity to make money (see Brightline and Texas Central) and will want to take advantage of the opportunity to make money. There's plenty of money sloshing around Wall Street looking for somewhere to invest

3) Ignore the BS about "social results" like "less pollution", "less cars on the road", etc - stuff that Fred Fraley called "squishy" because you can pull numbers out of the sky. The bottom line is serving a public need and that is measured by bottoms on seats per mile traveled.

See 

https://www.amazon.com/Romance-Rails-Passenger-Trains-Transportation/dp/1944424946

 

 

[Overmod]

GERALD L MCFARLANE JR

... I'd question why bother saving $1.1 Billion out of a $90 Billion dollar project, it's not worth the savings.

On the other hand, since running a TLM to install the balance of the second track would be straightforward and, given the necessary spacing between tracks for HSR, something that could be conducted under traffic, the saving makes sense up to the point traffic density and full end-to-end speed assurance mandate full double-main integrity -- likely many years from now.  And while that billion is only a small percentage of the overall bloated cost of the project, it is still 'real money' for poor California to use.

There is also the marginal cost of the part of the OHLE that can be deferred; it will be interesting to see how this 'economy' will be planned for and then built out.

[daveklepper]

My wn belief is that no truly high-speed passenger RR should be built with only one track.