The segment they are proposing to build has some significant non-HSR value. Yes, it's nowhere to (for practical purposes) nowhere, but if HSR goes away it could be sold to BNSF and would accomplish something Fresno's been trying to do for decades: consolidate both railroads along the UP line (with BNSF in this case being grade-separated). Yes, it would need "11 miles of on-ramps" to connect with existing BNSF as described in the initial press pieces but that's doable. Also, it would speed up existing Amtrak through that segment considerably (gets the trains out of the urban and UP crossing congestion in Fresno-Calwa, and allows Amtrak to do 90 or so for a bit). Probably not what you'd want to spend $1B or so on (the total cost after state match for the Fed money) if you had a better choice, but probably more useful as a potential sale piece for general railroad use than, say, a trench through Palo Alto (which all by itself would cost about the same).