The Caltrain electrification has been undertaken over BART-MTC-ABAG-Hemminger's dead body. The only way Caltrain could get past BART-MTC's decades of schemes to convert the ex-SP ROW to 5'6" was to invite in the State, aka CAHSR, with its money and political muscle. See BART to SFO. Conditions have evolved more recently with the SVLG warming up to an electrified Caltrain and the longterm promise of HSR in the face of BART's many signs of decline, no matter how much money it gets and wastes.

So over time a Bay Area elite deal was cut with BART-MTC to allow the latter some access to the Penisula from the south and grant them monopoly control over Eastbay transit and ultimate possession of Altamont. Whatever crappy standard gauge commute ops there are in the Eastbay BART will control and operate.

This is a appalling state of affairs as Altamont is a vastly superior HSR alignment than Pacheco and would not only afford better and faster access to SoCal but also high speed access to Sacramento.

As to the Southland they allowed the Tejon Ranch Co. veto power over HSR routing. Corruption and stupidity does have its consequences, as is evidenced by today's story about the NYC subway. None of the California politicians in a position to do something have the stones to take on the Ranch nor even Palmdale. Picture LaLa as Cairo.