True HSR? True HSR in Europe? Ah, it's Easter, and we need to know if this mere 110 mph. or 125 mph. HSR, and the ability to make, say only a 2 hour trip to San Diego, would really be a piece of the "true" HSR "cross"?

I can't wait to hear from all of the "true believers" in the "real" HSR...

Most HSR in Europe actually uses conventional trackage at some point, almost always approaching or entering major urbanized centers, where they reduce speeds. This, of course, saves billions and billions on very expensive urban construction costs (unlike CAHSRA's proposed billion dollar boondoggle segment at Burbank Airport???).

Thus, in Europe, this allows many/most HSR trains, continue to destinations beyond the end of the HSR segment, or they may branch from HSR segments, to serve origins and destinations, off of, or beyond the HSR segment itself.

It is all about finding the most cost effective, highest ridership, most benefit for the travel time savings combinations, something CAHSRA never ever did, having determined the technology first and then trying to justify it.

Spain has built gauge changing trains that branch on to the "evil" wide gauge Spanish system. And, TGV's complete much of the trip to Brittany on older lines, joining the HSR segment to Paris in Normandy (IIRC?). While more line segments of HSR have been built, the first segment allowed a cut of travel time to Geneva, and Rhone Valley, which became the impetus to each new segment, based on needs and good cost benefit for that investment. An eight hour trip might become a 5 hour trip, because part of it was now operating on an HSR segment.

Also, in Europe, many HSR end to end trips can average much lower average total train speed, than the highest speed operating segment (the combinations of the average speed for the miles on HSR, and the average speed for the miles on the connecting segment).

I have no problem with a system that's "fast enough", as long as it is actually designed to meet CA's real rail passenger needs, in the most cost effective and efficient way, for us poor taxpayer's who've been asked to pick up the tab for it.

I know that this is unlike a system where the guiding principle is that "price is no object/we must be the fastest choo-choo no matter what it costs" (and regardless of how it would actually meet our real travel needs), that CAHSRA "runaway money train" fiasco has always been... And, I'm sure I'll hear from all of the "true believers" all about how "fast enough" isn't "true" high speed rail...