Alstom ready to make San Francisco 2h20 away from Los
Angeles

This proposition about a safe, reliable high speed passenger
train, which had been in the planning stages since 1996, was
twice delayed in 2004 and 2006. With this approved referendum,
the State of California is now allowed to raise $9,95 billion
for the first steps of this project that could lay 700 miles of
tracks between San Francisco and Los Angeles with trains
running at top speeds of more than 200mph. Eventually, the line
could link Sacramento to San Diego, the entire project could
cost between $30 and $60 billion.

Alstom Transport is ready to take part in this project.
Philippe Mellier, Alstom Transport CEO, declared: This
is a big step. It shows that, on over-1000km distances, high
speed train could pull out the US from the plane and
cars hegemony. Arnold Schwarzenegger, governor of
California, is aware of the French companys know-how in
this field. He actually had the occasion to sit in a French
East Line TGV last summer. A month ago, Alstom was indeed at
the 2008 APTA EXPO in San Diego, where an AGV mock-up was
showcased, a video of the 2007 world rail speed record was
displayed as well as an interactive display putting users into
the AGV drivers cab.