[ruw1090]

I stopped reading at "Incredibly, the state has not laid a single mile of track" for California High Speed rail, which is completely false. There are 119 miles under active construction and they've been putting down track since 2018.

[merpnderp]

"119 mile under active construction" does not disagree with "the state has not laid a single mile of track."

Under active construction could simply mean the land is being graded and prepped, or with modern weasel wording it could mean a dozen different surveys are under review. But given there was a time with rail was laid at a mile per day, 119 miles being "under construction" for the last 4 years does seem to make the author's point.

[secabeen]

Rail was laid at about a mile a day, and a worker on said project died every two-four days (up to 1,000 deaths across 7 years). We could probably build rail faster if we threw safety out the window too.

Yes, that's not the only difference between now and then, but it is an important factor to include in your analysis.

[InCityDreams]

We discussing safety, or track laid?

[PKop]

It's hard to find evidence that his statement is false. How many miles of tracks have been laid, and where?

[secabeen]

Laying track is clearly the last part of the project; they're working on all the important stuff that goes under the track. The fact that they haven't laid track specifically is a false concern.

[PKop]

Then the issue was with his elevation of the claim as pertinent, not the claim itself. He is right then that no track has been laid? It seems simply a shorthand maker of progress of the project.

>is clearly the last part of the project

All that tells me is they're not really close to the "last part of the project" then. And this last part could be very far away, because "working on" sections could mean anything. Until track is laid (especially as you claim it being near the end) the project is vaporware is it not? And that is useful information for the general public who can be bamboozled by project tracker graphics documenting "progress" that never delivers anything.

I see a few articles highlighting with pictures the construction of various concrete elevated platforms, that seem to have stopped or are abandoned. So ultimately work can be done for a long time and not amount to much at all.

[Invictus0]

I was able to find this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_High-Speed_Rail#/me...

[nonethewiser]

There is no "constructed" key here. Which suggests the furthest along is "under construction". I'm not sure what all that constitutes.

[thematrixturtle]

The statement is technically true, since while they have been building lots of elevated viaducts etc, there are no actual steel rails on those viaducts yet.