California’s high-speed rail project reached a milestone Tuesday as officials marked the start of work on the nation’s first bullet train, which will whisk travelers at 200 mph between Los Angeles and San Francisco in less than three hours. The ceremony in Fresno comes amid challenges. Central Valley farmers in the train’s path had sued to block it and are now contesting that those behind the project have fallen short of responsibilities under a 2013 legal settlement, according to The Fresno Bee . Meanwhile Republican members of U.S. Congress have vowed to cut funding for the $68 billion projecton the grounds of its perceived expense. Opponents also say the state can’t deliver the sleek project as it was first promised. Dan Richard, chairman of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, acknowledges the authority has been slow to buy up most of the land needed for laying track. But he is […]