Schedule Slippage Casts Doubts on CA High-Speed Rail

"The start of construction on California's bullet train, one of the nation's largest 'shovel ready' public work projects that was awarded stimulus funding three years ago by the Obama administration, is slipping past already-delayed target dates," reports project skeptic Ralph Vartabedian. "Now, it appears that serious construction may not begin this year, and could be delayed into 2014."

"Factors contributing to the sluggish start include delays in getting a construction company under contract and lack of key federal permits," he adds. "Under federal agreements, the state must spend all of the Obama administration stimulus funding and a matching amount of state funds by October 2017— about $5 billion of the $6 billion total for the first phase through the Central Valley."