The high speed rail plan is sound overall, but problems arise when politics conflict with practical engineering. All major infrastructure projects are expensive but they will prove justified over time when they are well conceived and meet real needs. Consider the cost of the Interstate Highway System. There is no such thing as a perfect win-win. All projects hurt somebody. Just think of the Grande Coulee Dam, which bottles up the natural flow of the river but what would we do without all that non-fossil electricity? And remember that that expensive right of way thru Fresno and Modesto will be a permanent asset and one that would likely have to be built anyway, whether the mode is road or rail.

One positive is that there should real competition amongst bidders on this project. Though not ground-breaking , there's big money and prestige involved which will attract international consortia. I am of the minority opinion that it could be done reasonably quickly if it receives full support at all levels of government. A sustained gas crunch could dispel a lot of the negativity.

The zig-zag route north of LA does seem bizarre. Perhaps someone from SoCal can explain this? The only unusual technical problem I can foresee is heat deformation of the rails in the desert summer. I can't think of any high speed system built so far that has been exposed to desert heat approaching 120 degrees.