>>1769636That will inevitably change, thanks to SB-1. With full commuter rail between Sacramento and Merced, it would be trivial to create a splice between ACE and CHSRA and I think ACE has gone so far to suggest it formally if I am not mistaken. In this way the Governor's plan for SJ Valley HSR service between Redding and Bakersfield (aka, half of the Shasta Daylight) would be built. There is very little opposing it except for a formal contract between Amtrak and CHSRA, but this won't stay as it is. The San Joaquins are going to be moved onto their own track if only so CHSRA can pick up a slice of the ticket fares and have revenues prior to project completion. Also, as the map indicates ACE's expansion is effectively CAHSR Phase 2, but without the high speed part. This will inevitably occur though, and things will fall into place once Stockton Junction is modernized and the I-street bridge replaced as UP will be open to negotiation/buyout at that point. Then wires go up and it's HSR.
I don't see anything opposing this especially when ACE is massively benefiting from the Remote Worker and poorfag deluge into the Tri-Valley and Central Valley. There's so much money to be made, I'd go so far to argue that ACE will HSR itself across Altamont Pass (you know the original HSR alignment..) before the actual HSR alignment over Pacheco Pass is built. Ditto for a Dumbarton Br. rebuild project, which is an obvious ACE route (& a Shin Park BART station, which BART has studied before).
