I thought CAHSR’s top speed was 220?

So the top sustained speed for CAHSR will probably stay at 220mph, which it has to do a lot of due to the reduced speeds in SF and LA (I think they’re limiting it to 110mph but it could go up to 125mph before having to get reclassed), but the trainsets are mandated to be able to go at least 242mph.

I also thought the average speed of Brightline West was meant to be substantially lower

Brightline West will be quite a bit slower than CAHSR due to the lower top speed (186mph) and much steeper grades (up to 5%) but it will still be faster than the Acela which will top out at 160mph (currently 150mph). CAHSR average speed is pushing 200mph and Brightline West is pushing 150mph.

it’s more expensive per mile than tunnels IIRC

Well it depends on exactly where but part of the reason the tunnels are so expensive, aside from being insanely long, is that they have to tolerate the trains going at 220mph in them due to the Prop 1A requirement for LA-SF to be under 2 hours and 40 minutes.

I also suspect that Nevada is much less aggressive about ecological impact surveys than CA.

I don’t think they even had to do a full EIR since it’s entirely in the median of the 15 except for the end stations. They’re supposedly building 3 wildlife crossings at various points on the alignment but we’ll see if they actually do.

Gods, I hope you’re wrong about CAHSR privatization, though.

I meant more just the technology and know-how of how to build it, not the actual tracks. I doubt they could sell them even if they wanted to but I’m fairly certain the Tier III tracks (220mph) legally forbid freight trains.