The Trump administration is considering pulling federal funding from
California
‘s High-Speed Rail project after the US Department of Transportation revealed no track has been laid despite nearly $7 billion in taxpayer funds spent over 15 years.
The ambitious project, initially approved by voters in 2008 with a $10 billion budget, aimed to connect major cities in California, however, costs have escalated dramatically, with the total projected cost now ranging from $89 billion to $128 billion.
The Federal Railroad Administration has since issued a scathing 315-page report which cites key issues with the troubled project including missed deadlines, budget overruns and unreliable ridership projections.
The
White House
has now initiated a review to determine whether to rescind an additional $4 billion in federal grants allocated for the project’s completion.
The embattled rail line faces further roadblocks with a $7 billion funding gap for the Merced-to-Bakersfield segment, even before the Trump administration considers pulling the $4 billion in federal funds.
US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy criticized the years-long project, claiming there is ‘no viable path’ for the multi-billion dollar project’s completion.
‘This report exposes a cold, hard truth: CHSRA has no viable path to complete this project on time or on budget,’ Duffy said.
The entire San Francisco-to-Los Angeles project was initially supposed to be completed by 2020 for $33 billion,
Reuters reported
– but the project is far from completion of any phase.
The Transportation Secretary emphasized that if the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) cannot demonstrate progress, the federal government may redirect funds to other infrastructure projects.
‘CHSRA is on notice – If they can’t deliver on their end of the deal, it could soon be time for these funds to flow to other projects that can achieve President Trump’s vision of building great, big, beautiful things again,’ he said.
‘Our country deserves high-speed rail that makes us proud – not boondoggle trains to nowhere.’
In response, CHSRA defended the project, asserting that over 15,000 jobs have been created and 119 miles are under active construction.
‘There is active civil construction along 119 miles in the Central Valley, resulting in over 15,000 construction jobs, and design and pre-construction activities are underway on the extensions to Merced and Bakersfield totaling 171 miles,’ as per a CHSRA statement.
The federal government has given California until mid-July to respond to the review – if the CHSRA fails to provide satisfactory evidence of progress, the $4 billion in federal grants may be rescinded.
In 2021, then-President Joe Biden restored a $929 million grant for the high-speed rail, funds which Trump had revoked in 2019 after he called the project a ‘disaster,’ Reuters reported.
Now, all eyes are on the Golden State’s response and whether the innovative rail project can overcome its financial and logistical challenges.
The California High-Speed Rail System is a planned two-phase 800-mile system with speeds of up to 220 miles per hour that aims to
connect San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim and in the second phase extend north to Sacramento and south to San Diego
.
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