There is a first time learning curve to climb and there is a project that good chance will never complete. This is really looking like the later than the former. Don’t forget how much money already sunk in. This was back in ‘22, project started in 2008.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/may/29/california-high-speed-rail-bullet-train
Meanwhile we have been “figuring it out” and Mexico, you know what the US considers nothing but Cancun, cartels, beans, and needs a wall has learned, funded, built and opened first service in Dec and almost fully running today and way bigger, about 5x in track length. Total project cost around 30bil and few years to build. MX is even manufacturing the trains in Mexico.
https://apnews.com/article/mexico-maya-train-tourist-rail-yucatan-81d827ff51589fe43ed608ffb309be4a
The only good success on how to do rail, even if not bullet speeds, in the US is Brightline. They have plans to expand even further but at least is doing something today vs another 100bil and 1-2 decades.
By all metrics the CA project is a money pit.
Yup or colo is full and won’t accept any more changes. So one has to wait until someone else gives up space and then a fire sale on the newly freed space.