BOB2 Wrote:
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> Phil Anschutz offered the Coast to the State for
> $400 million back in the early 90's. And, my two
> old pals "Steel" Neil Petersen, then running the
> LACMTA, and Richard Katz, in the Legislature,
> tried their damnedest to get folks to take him up.
> Pete Wilson said no.
>
> Yeah, buying this line, and running a LOSSAN
> (south) level passenger service all the way from
> SAC and SF to LA and San Diego, would carry one
> hell of a lot of trips. And, if the State bought
> it, I suspect that even the piss poor UP customer
> service could be better, especially if it were put
> out to bid for operation, by a more responsive
> short line operator.
>
> What would UP want for it today? Who knows. But,
> I'm gonna bet it won't be the deal Phil offered
> us. I saw one "quick and dirty" "guess/estimate",
> to try and justify the purchase of the Coast Line
> as a transportation investment, that claimed that
> back then, just the coastal portion of the lands
> on the LOSSAN segment alone were worth somewhere
> north of $2 billion....
>
> The failure to take up Anschutz on his offer to
> sell us the Coast Line, was one of the worst
> passenger rail opportunities lost and mistakes I
> saw made by CA in my 50 year career. I place it
> second, only to the ongoing completely disastrous
> taxpayer financed cluster-f#ck at the CAHSRA.