ARTICLE
January 3, 2015
Groundbreaking Is Tuesday for High-Speed Rail
The California High-Speed Rail Authority expects that millions among the traveling public will want to ride its sleek, 220-mph bullet trains between the Bay Area and the Los Angeles Basin when the system starts running in the early 2020s.
But Tuesday’s ceremonial groundbreaking in Fresno for the controversial rail project — considered one of the largest public works efforts in California history — will be an invitation-only affair for about 1,200 dignitaries and guests. The festivities are set for noon at the northeast corner of Tulare and G streets, the site of a planned high-speed train station in downtown Fresno.
Among those scoring an invite is Gov. Jerry Brown, who will attend the event just a day after he is sworn in for a fourth term as part of a busy inauguration week.
The formalities represent a symbolic milestone for the rail authority, and one that comes more than two years after what was once targeted for the start of construction.