California bullet train officials push plan to head north

(AP) — The decision to build the first leg of California's bullet train north to the San Francisco Bay Area instead of south as planned since 2012 marks an acknowledgement of the project's waning political support and an ongoing funding shortfall for a system that spans the state.

Supporters hope construction will generate momentum and private investment to pay for the rest of the project south to the Los Angeles area.

The plans detailed Thursday reflect the political realities that have confronted the project in the years since 2008, when voters approved selling nearly $10 billion in bonds for a high-speed rail network linking Northern and Southern California.

Among them was Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, who said in a statement Thursday that he supports the new plan because it makes sense to build "high-speed rail first where infrastructure already exists."

Jeff Morales, CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, said the announcement is the first time officials are laying out a plan to build and operate a segment that does not rely on new money.

Republicans who control Congress have not only been unwilling to offer further high-speed rail funding, they have sought repeatedly to repeal about $3 billion in federal stimulus funding allocated for the project by President Barack Obama's administration.