 |
| Passengers traveled the first run of the expanded route. |
FRESNO, Calif. (Feb. 23, 2028) -- The sleek train pulled into the depot on H and Mariposa streets like it has the past several years.
The whistle blew. Passengers disembarked. Some met warmly with family, and a few others hurried to their destinations in this Central San Joaquin Valley city. But most remained aboard, smiling from the windows at the crowd gathered at the station.
A porter hefted baggage and answered questions, while the station manager quietly met with the train's passenger director and several high-ranking officials from the California High-Speed Rail Authority. Previous runs have been limited to Fresno and Bakersfield and more recently to Merced.
They wanted the trip to be flawless. It is the first time the train, which can reach speeds in excess of 200 mph, has taken passengers along its entire 520-mile length, from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
"Today is a significant milestone and caps 14 years of world-class construction," said Authority CEO Jeff Morales, who earlier this month signaled plans to retire. "We had some bumps along the way, but our design-build approach and top-flight contractors did a fantastic job. Their work won us a lot of believers."
