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But neither would have to be the first step.

Making the route from San Diego to LA high-speed is perfectly doable (the route exists already), and would be a great stepping stone.

Even if it turns out the Tehachapi is basically the mountains of Mordor and the project ends, you'd still have a valuable high-speed corridor.

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You'd think. But efforts long underway to incrementally improve the SD-LA section are now caught in a deep mire of NIMBYism:

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/new-study-...

These people are objecting to…a train running under them? Why?

Because of disruption during drilling, apparently, but mostly because they’re rich and can complain.

Depending on the depth of the tunnel and the construction of the structure, you can get vibrations through the ground and foundations of the structure transmitted such that they are noticeable.

e.g. If you live above a tube line in London (London Underground) then you may hear/feel rumbling every time a train passes under you.

The Basque Y high speed rail project in Spain, currently being built, goes through some very challenging mountainous terrain.

If Spain, with 33 500 USD GDP per capita, can do it, then so should California, whose GDP per capita exceeds 100 000 USD.

But yeah, better private sector does not necessarily buy better public sector.

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