Quote:
Originally Posted by sammyg
I meant from Victorville to Bakersfield, so yes, Tehachapi. Because CAHSR isn't being built south of Bakersfield, it provides a good opportunity for Brightline.
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A 10 year Environmental Review process would have to be followed before any tracks could be laid in Tehachapi Pass between Bakersfield and Victorville.
A 10 year Environmental Review process has been recently completed between Palmdale and Victorville so CDOT can build a new freeway.
https://la.streetsblog.org/2019/06/1...al-boondoggle/
That EIS included a parallel high speed rail line with the environmental impacts. So Virgin (ex-Brightline, ex-Desert Express) trains could build that rail line almost immediately after raising sufficient funds and getting construction permits, while the freeway is being built or afterwards.
The EIS for the high speed rail line between Bakersfield and Palmdale and another between Palmdale and L.A. are underway. There is no EIS study underway for a high speed rail line between Bakersfield and Victorville.
The question remaining to be answered is if Virgin would extend it's L.V. to Victorville HSR line to Palmdale before CHSR builds its line from L.A. to Palmdale and onwards towards Bakersfield? I can see both answers of yes and no to that billion dollar question.