() President Trump’s administration is potentially pulling the plug on California’s high-speed rail project.
A new report from the Department of Transportation reveals that nearly $7 billion in federal funds resulted in zero feet of high-speed track being laid down for a project started 17 years ago.
The goal of the project was to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles, and have extensions to other regions with trains rolling at speeds up to 220 miles per hour.
“If they can’t deliver on their end of the deal, it could soon be time for these funds to flow to other projects,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “Our country deserves high-speed rail that makes us proud, not boondoggle trains to nowhere.”
The project had an initial budget of $33 billion and a completion date in 2020, but it has inflated into an estimated $100 billion and a service debut in the 2030s. That estimate only counts for a 171-mile-long section between Merced and Bakersfield.
Governor Gavin Newsom recently highlighted construction progress along the line, and he continues to express a commitment to deliver.
The Department of Transportation has given the California High-Speed Rail Authority up to 37 days to respond before it moves forward with terminating the federal funds.
