>>1127066>>1127164Three corrections:
1. The initial funding was for a 2008 PRIIA "investment corridor", not the Hiawatha.
2. Walker, being the dipshit he is, tried asking for Hiawatha money after he nixed the PRIIA project and USDOT rightfully told him to fuck off.
3. Talgo's trainsets also ended up in California, for Surfliner service (so Caltrans can move those bilevels up north for Capitol Corridor service). They'll probably wind up in the Cascades though as Caltrans begins modernizing per Prop 1A.
Also, two additional points:
4. Caltrain (SF-SJ) will finish it's electrification project within the next five years, which includes all-new rolling stock which will free up about ~147 new railcars (or about 24 6-car trainsets), which with the 137 new Bombardier cars means 284 new railcars total. If both are split between ACE and the Capitol Corridor, both can move from hourly service to half-hourly service (or even 15-20 minute headways) which make both competitive against the adjacent BART metro (who hopes to connect to San Jose by 2027 at the earliest) and floods Union Pacific's mainlines with passenger trains, causing them to be more willing to help fund Capitol Corridor modernization (specifically rebuilding the Sacramento Northern line, complete with a new bridge, for freight only as mentioned in the Capitol Corridor Vision Plan).
5. Also by 2022 a tunnel between SJ and Fresno will be built, allowing Caltrans to discontinue San Joaquin service as new HSR trainsets start being delivered for SF-Bakersfield and later SF-Anaheim service. As the HSR operator is DB-USA, it's almost certain that Siemens will get this contract too. This only means about ~15 ancient Horizon railcars being made available, but a gain is a gain and I bet the state will find a place for them.