The Sacramento-based California Rail Foundation, one of several groups that sued the rail commission over the Pacheco Pass Route, says the environmental process for that route would be more daunting the second time around.

"This time the people of Gilroy and Morgan Hill know that trains are coming through town at 220 mph," said Richard Tolmach, president of the California Rail Foundation.

A resolution that will be discussed on Thursday specifically calls for the commission to maintain a Pacheco Pass route while rescinding the environmental impact report for the route. However, Tolmach maintained that a Pacheco Pass alternative would be unpalatable at this point after Sacramento Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny ruled in August that portions of the environmental impact report for the Bay Area-to-Central-Valley route would need to be rewritten.

Tolmach noted that the rail authority must find a new route between San Jose and Gilroy because the court found that a route identified by the authority had inadequate space for tracks.

In addition, Wolmach said that several cities that anticipated trains going through their towns at 100 to 150 mph during the initial environmental review process now know that they will be traveling at 220 mph.

Officials with the California High-Speed Rail Commission could not be reached for comment late Wednesday.

Tolmach said his group seeks to have European-style transportation in California. However, Europe does not have any elevated trains that go 220 mph through town, he said. He believes that the tracks should have been aligned with Interstate 5.

"The problem is that these guys are presenting a false view of European technology," he said.

The city of Menlo Park and the town of Atherton joined the California Rail Foundation and various other groups in suing the rail commission over the bullet train's route between the Central Valley and the Bay Area.

On the other hand, most Gilroy City Council members indicated during a study session last month that they favored having a high-speed rail station in town, although they wanted it trenched.

Mayor Al Pinheiro noted Wednesday that the City Council on Monday will discuss a joint resolution with Morgan Hill's council that supports a high-speed train station in Gilroy and Highway 101 alignment through Morgan Hill.

While Pinheiro noted that there has been some opposition to the route in northern Santa Clara County, that's certainly not the case in Gilroy or Morgan Hill, he said.