The judgment means bidding and construction will move ahead as planned on the first phase of the 800-mile high-speed rail system set to connect the northern and southern parts of the state.

California’s state legislature authorized the first sale of $4.6 billion of the $9 billion voter-approved 2008 Proposition 1A High-Speed Rail (HSR) bonds. That matches and commits the state’s $3.4 billion federal HSR stimulus grant.

Regardless of confusion over what the High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail program was defined as and political pressure being applied, the Obama Administration’s $10 billion-plus investment in the nation’s rail network has seen some success as many projects, including California’s “true” high-speed rail program, continue moving forward.