The California High-Speed Rail is looking to obtain six trainsets that are capable of operating at speeds of 220 mph and tested at speeds as high as 242 mph.

The manufacturer who is chosen to receive the High-Speed Rail contract will be be responsible for designing, building, integrating and commissioning the trainsets, as well as maintaining them and their spare parts for 30 years. The manufacturer will also be responsible for testing and maintaining a driving simulator.

The California High-Speed Rail is tentatively planned to open in 2030, operating in the large middle section of the Central Valley which and connecting Merced to Bakersfield along a 171-mile track.

Construction on the project officially began in Fresno in 2015 after decades of discussion and voter approval for initial funding in 2008.

The Authority said it hopes to have service going by 2030, but transportation advocates and supporters of the project have urged the governing body to accelerate that timeline, possibly having the entire track from the Bay Area to Los Angeles up and running by 2028.

Despite clamoring from advocates and overall enthusiasm for the project, the Authority stresses that there’s simply not enough funding to get the project completed any sooner.

Construction is currently underway along 119 miles of the proposed 171-mile track across the Central Valley. There are more than 30 active construction sites in the state, and the 422 miles of the program’s design has received environmental clearance.

https://ktla.com/news/california/california-takes-first-step-in-acquiring-trains-for-high-speed-rail

how the high speed rail is going to ever recoup any of the costs of operation, regardless of construction costs, in Merced to Bakershield? Along highway 99, not even interstate 5. Asking because IF there was a need for more cargo or commuter traffic, then 99 would have been expanded. 

So, is this limited area chosen because it's simply the least problematic, based on being the least populated, in the bigger project goal of LA to San Fran, the most populated cities in California, and on the West Coast