A proposed bullet train that would connect San Francisco and Los Angeles has been delayed and the costs are skyrocketing.
The project was supposed to be done for $64 billion with the first phase completed by 2029. According to an updated business plan, the cost has jumped to $77 billion, nearly a 20 percent increase, and the opening has been pushed to 2033.
Right now, San Francisco to Los Angeles is an eight-hour train ride, a $300 flight, or a 6.5-hour drive. The bullet train, which promises to be low cost, would take 2 hours and 40 minutes.
The project would require about 800 miles of track, which makes the cost work out to about $96.25 million per mile. The Hyperloop in the United Arab Emirates isn’t looking so expensive now. That one will only cost $52 million per mile. Of course, the California route has to deal with crossing through some mountains which is a bit more of a logistical headache.
While the endgame is to connect San Francisco with Los Angeles, officials are now focusing on a track that connects San Francisco to the Central Valley, a primarily agricultural part of the state. That section should be completed by 2029, which is still four years behind schedule.
According to the AP, voters first approved a $10 billion bond for high-speed rail in November 2008. The first 119-mile segment of track, which is in the Central Valley, won't open until 2022.
