Shared corridors are the primary row on several segments. CHSRA's new management and board have made an initial commitment to fully integrate "shared right of way" improvements, such as combined grade separations, which would separate both freight, blended, and/or high speed tracks (unlike downtown San Diego where the trolley is grade separated next to an at grade crossing on the adjacent LOSSAN).

On segments like the proposed blended portion of the Antelope Valley line, local officials and some on the MTA Board have fought hard to not have adjacent tracks not separated. In order to reduce and share construction costs, and attract potential investors. Given the deficiencies in Tehachipi freight capacity, studying the option of identifying the feasibility of shared freight improvements, makes sense.

Although this may not comport to the worldview that would see a vast conspiracy behind every action, this is actually a sign that the new management, despite continued interference and stupidity from some political micromanagers, that CHSRA's new management team is actually trying to go back and get some proper planning done, to help find more realistic and hopefully more cost effective choices, to serve California's real transportation needs.

Arnold, Mehdi, and Kopp are gone, along with their proposed "cost is no object" contractors "slop trough" that meets almost no real California transportation needs, which was planned by these fools to waste of billion, is effectively dead.

What Plan B will finally look like is still a work in progress. Caltrans State Rail Plan (which has already been declared "dead on arrival" at the California Transportation Commission according to my sources) failed in that task. But, a few of the locally controlled state corridors and a few local County Transportation Commissions do have some excellent plans, which need to be incorporated into that Plan B.

To all of those who support a responsible public role in providing for a cost effective investment in rail services passenger or freight to meet real needs, but oppose blatant public waste, bloat, corruption, and foolishness this is actually good news.