That sounds like a made-up story, given that in 2011 the major impediment to the CA HSR wasn't bureaucracy, it was politics, and the CA HSR authority hadn't yet put any portion of the HSR rail out to bid.

Also, the French company (Alstom) that helped build the Morocco HSR is currently bidding to build the CA HSR...

super made up: https://www.businessinsider.com/french-california-high-speed...