Here is where the problem becomes obvious. HSR by itself is basically useless, it has to be part of an integrated transportation system. With HSR the time needed to decelerate, exchange passengers and their baggage, and then accelerate back to speed can quickly adds time for every station that is added. So basically HSR needs very few stops and those need to be transportation hubs that have adequate parking, regional rail connections, local buses and have easy connections to any local airport. The local/regional transportation connections have to be coordinated and reasonable, because obviously few people would be willing to make more than a few transfers especially with kids in tow and trying to keep track of their luggage.

This also means that there is a problem in putting some of these HSR stations in downtown areas. Are that many people destined for downtown? It needs easy freeway access if possible and plenty of room for parking, because lets face it few of us would even consider navigating numerous city buses to our destination.

I still think that the investment should have been made in improving and expanding the existing proven rail corridors before even considering the HUGE boondoggle investment into HSR, which is basically going to be worthless unless a substantial portion of the system is built. As it is, I bet half the construction will go for consultants, sound walls, landscaping and other mitigation. And where does California expect to be getting the megawatts needed to run these new trains? It wasn't that many years ago that California was suffering from brownouts and other than some windmills, solar and a few small peaking plants there really hasn't been too much improvement to the grid.