Calif. HSR overhaul may bring $1B to S.F. rail

SAN FRANCISCO — SFGate reported that officials with San Francisco Bay Area transportation agencies are in negotiations with each other and the California High-Speed Rail Authority to create an agreement that would fund an advanced train-control system, electrify the rails on the Peninsula and eliminate some rail crossings, possibly as soon as 2016, five to 10 years earlier than previous estimates. For the full story, click here.

Meanwhile, The Fresno Bee reported that as Sacramento battles over issuing $2.7 billion in bonds to begin building a high-speed rail system later this year in the Central Valley, California High-Speed Rail Authority chairman Dan Richard said a new business plan and leadership are focused on "what it's going to take to make those things right" and rebuild the agency's credibility. For the full story, click here.