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Re: Caltrain Electrification - Delayed 'till 2024 LMAO.... Not really this is another sad reality of the CAHSRA fiaso, too....
Author: FUD
Date: 06-07-2021 - 14:53
Would be interesting to see the list of overruns that are already allocated and funded. What the story highlights seems to be the unfunded list.
As a practical matter, every construction project has overruns. Sometimes, they can be managed so the contingency funds cover them. Usually, they exceed the contingencies because 1) they were unforeseen (sometimes by just not looking, but even on a small scale, a lot of current construction budgets are currently being torpedoed by skyrocketing material costs, and having a key supplier go bankrupt isn't really Caltrain's fault), and 2) the contingenciess were limited by trying to make the job look cheaper than everybody knew it would be. Then, of course, there are the ones that have 3) a large component of incompetence (looking at HSR). With Caltrain, it looks like a combination but more #1 than #2, with only a bit of #3.
As a practical matter, every construction project has overruns. Sometimes, they can be managed so the contingency funds cover them. Usually, they exceed the contingencies because 1) they were unforeseen (sometimes by just not looking, but even on a small scale, a lot of current construction budgets are currently being torpedoed by skyrocketing material costs, and having a key supplier go bankrupt isn't really Caltrain's fault), and 2) the contingenciess were limited by trying to make the job look cheaper than everybody knew it would be. Then, of course, there are the ones that have 3) a large component of incompetence (looking at HSR). With Caltrain, it looks like a combination but more #1 than #2, with only a bit of #3.
