Timing, cost of high-speed rail project face legal scrutiny

(AP) — Current state plans for a $68 billion high-speed rail system would not get passengers from San Francisco to Los Angeles in the time voters were promised when they approved the project, attorneys for a group of landowners opposing the system argued in court Thursday.

[...] estimated ridership figures for shorter trips are not reliable, and operation and maintenance costs are likely to exceed projections, the lawyers said.

Landowners and Kings County sued the California High-Speed Rail Authority, arguing that the state can no longer guarantee it will follow through on promises made in 2008 when voters approved selling nearly $10 billion in bonds for the system.

[...] state officials have made political compromises to ensure the project's survival, but opponents argue that the changes make it impossible to follow through on the promises to voters.