Fresno Groundbreaking Tuesday For High-Speed Train

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - California Gov. Jerry Brown is slated to be among the dignitaries at an invitation-only groundbreaking next week for the state's new high-speed rail system.

The Fresno Bee says 1,200 guests are expected for the groundbreaking Tuesday at the future site of the new Fresno rail station.

A 29-mile stretch of rail from the Fresno station is slated to be the first construction segment. The multibillion-dollar project is due to run 220-mph bullet trains from the Los Angeles basin to the San Francisco Bay area in the 2020s. The Fresno Bee reports that authorities as of mid-December have acquired just 101 of the 525 parcels of land required for the first segment from Fresno.