California is venturing into the world of High Speed Rail service.  It's a great time for new infrastructure, since three of the biggest components of a rail system are cheap right now because of the bad economy.  These are the land, design costs, and construction costs.  The Rail Authority has published Environmental Studies of each segment.  You can find the summaries at:
Merced-Fresno Segment: http://dl5.activatedirect.com/fs/d:l/zldcq52sh4xsbf/zws1qysokgjo17/2
Fresno-Bakersfield Segment:  http://dl5.activatedirect.com/fs/d:l/zldcq52sh4xsbf/zws1qysokgjo17/6

Or you can search for the full reports at www.fra.dot.gov