You can see pictures of the approach to the Hanford viaduct under construction at [buildhsr.com] This is going to be a grade no matrer how you slice it. There are two major viaducts in the 119 mile route, plus other smaller ones. Just looking at the CP-1 construction photos, there seem to be three or four other jumpovers just between Fresno and Madera, with visible grades. I would estimate a dozen or more over the 119 miles. Standard discussions simply give 2-1/2% to 4% grades for high speed rail engineering. These simply aren't meant for diesel-hauled trains, and even at 110-125 mph maximum, they are each going to bring average speed down so that actual time saved between Madera and Bakersfield will at the very best be only minutes, at a cost of billions. And what will be the effect of reparations, health care for the undocumented, and other projected state programs on completion of LA-SFO?