Quote:

stash
There must have been more incentive and fewer obstacles in building the transcontinental railroad in 1869.

Very true. There was a whole lot more incentive back in 1869...

Quote:

Wikipedia, Pacific Railroad Acts
From 1850-1871, the railroads received more than 175 million acres (708,000 km²) of public land - an area more than one tenth of the whole United States and larger than Texas.

And there were a whole lot less obstacles. In fact none at all. Ever been to the Palm Springs, California area? Ever wonder why the Indian reservations are in a "checkerboard" pattern in there? Well it turns out treaties and contracts were broken to built the Pacific railroads.

So, if the State of California would offer UP, or the CP successor company (whomever they might be?) every other square mile for 10-40 miles on each side of the right-of-way, delegate to them eminent domain, guarantee and subsidize their bonds, vacate treaties and contract law, and protect their work site with the regular US Army, then sure, this can be done the "old school way". Of course that comes with the biggest financial and political corruption scandal in US history, Crédit Mobilier of America, a guaranteed cost of doing business this way.

Be careful what you ask for. The fact that enough useful and needed real estate in California to build HSR is now in private hands means big government can't "give the house away", again. The fact they have to plan and negotiate saves the public money in the long run.