I think the essential reason people are objecting to the proposed high speed rail is because very few Californians have actually experienced rail travel. All they can see is the cost, with no conception of the benefits.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority asserts that high speed rail lines around the world have proven to be both competitive with air travel and profitable for distances up to 400 miles. This makes sense, considering the indignities & time required to get to and through airports these days, and the tedium of many hours on roads such as Interstate 5 that connect California's population centers.
The passenger rail station in Munich is a busy place with fast & slow trains arriving from places near & far -- thousands of people on the move.
Like any large city airport, the train stations have an abundance of services such as restaurants, cafes, fast food, bank terminals, news stands, tourist information kiosks, curio stores, and other vendors.
There is parking for hundreds of bicycles under roof, and local buses connect directly. It is a short walk to the subway system -- the equivalent of the Bay Area's BART & L.A.'s Metro. These kinds of transportation centers already exist in Los Angeles & San Francisco and are being expanded. High speed rail will only make them more vital.
