Scrap any antiquated notions of patriotism or nationalism, pay the French, Germans, or Chinese to build a turn-key HSR and electrification system. They seem to be good at it.
Also, if you build SF-Fresno and LA-Bakersfield, you’re left with a gap of approximately 100 miles. May as well close this gap.
Electrified rail has environmental advantages — unlike aircraft and long-distance buses, it’s easy to power using any source of electricity, including clean sources like nuclear (yep, NUCLEAR) and renewables.
While we’re at it, time for Californians to overcome their cowardice and build two (or ten) new nuclear plants to replace San Onofre and Diablo Canyon.
