Trump Administration Reviews 4B USD in Federal Funding for California High-Speed Rail Project

The US Department of Transportation (DOT) launched the review following concerns over cost overruns, delays, and mismanagement, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA), the state agency responsible for the project, originally proposed a $33 billion San Francisco-Los Angeles bullet train in 2008, aiming for completion by 2020. However, escalating costs have pushed the estimated total to $106 billion, with only a 171-mile Central Valley segment (Merced to Bakersfield) expected to be operational by 2033.

President Donald Trump previously revoked nearly $1 billion in federal funds for the project in 2019, citing mismanagement and lack of progress.

The Biden administration restored the funds and allocated an additional $3.3 billion in December 2023 through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a major federal transportation initiative.

In response, CHSRA CEO Ian Choudri welcomed the investigation, affirming that the project had undergone multiple independent audits and maintained full financial transparency.

Despite political opposition, transportation unions and public transit advocates continue to back the project. Move LA, a non-profit promoting sustainable transit, criticized the federal probe as a politically motivated stunt.