Citing cost overruns, the federal government will no longer provide funding for California’s planned Los Angeles-to-San Francisco high-speed rail project, according to a news report from Reuters. President Donald Trump made the comment to reporters yesterday during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
In February, the Federal Railroad Administration announced it was conducting a review of the California high-speed rail project, which is years behind schedule and well over budget. Voters approved $10 billion for the project in 2008 and the Biden Administration committed about $4 billion. The full project was initially estimated to cost about $40 billion but has now soared to $89 billion to $128 billion.
According to the Reuters report, a spokesman for California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on Tuesday: “With 50 major structures built, walking away now as we enter the track-laying phase would be reckless.”
There is active civil construction under way along 119 miles in the Central Valley and pre-construction activities are under way on the extensions to Merced and Bakersfield, the California High-Speed Rail Authority reported yesterday, according to Reuters.
