My theory about CAHSR Trainsets and BLW
I wonder if CAHSR plans to buy the 12 Siemens trainsets BLW has ordered, or some of the 12.
Context clue 1: recent reporting in lucid stew’s newest video demonstrates that BLW is suffering from financial woes. BLW hasn’t even started construction yet, let alone guideway prep and land acquisition. But BLW has a purchase order agreement for 12 Siemens trains. 2 of them have been under construction since 2025.
Context clue 2: Recent news relieved that the Trump administration clawed back the $4 billion in federal funding because CAHSR did not order their trainsets by the deadline specified in the strings attached to federal funding. And CAHSR still has not ordered the trainsets for their project.
With track on the EOS scheduled to be completed July 2027, the next phase would be testing the trainsets on said tracks. It takes a couple of years from order placement to order delivery. This represents substantial risk for the 2033/2034 scheduled completion of the EOS.
But if CAHSR bought some of the 8, including 1 or 2 that are currently being manufactured, that could put the EOS back on track for the 2033/2034 deadline. This could also return money back to BLW which is need of funds in order to proceed with construction. The two entities already have a MOU to have compatible systems and run the same trainsets.
What do you think? Could this explain CAHSR odd decision of not ordering trainsets yet? Do the two projects (in conjunction with the high speed desert corridor project) sink or swim together?