Transportation officials in california voted unanimously yesterday to approve a 4.3 billion dollar proposal to construct the 1st section of a high-speed rail line in the state. Members of the california high-speed rail authority proposed to run the 1st, 65-mile route through the central valley, with stops planned in borden, fresno, hanford, and corcoran. Some criticized the decision not to plan stops at more heavily populated areas, such as merced, however rail authority members said this route was the best choice, given a looming deadline, and short funding. The line is expected to eventually carry trains with speeds up to 220 miles per hour, and the project could create as many as 80-thousand jobs in the state.
