CALIFORNIA – President Donald Trump remarked, February 4, that California’s High-Speed Rail is ‘the worst managed project’ and that he would soon be launching an investigation.
“They have hundreds of billions of dollars of cost overruns. And it’s not even the same project. It’s much shorter. It’s way outside of San Francisco and way outside of Los Angeles. So, we’re going to be looking into that,” remarked Trump.
According to representative Kevin Kiley (R-CA) the project has received $6.8 billion in federal funds and requesting an additional $8 billion.
Estimates for complete project cost as high as $135 billion
The original California High-Speed Rail plan aimed to connect San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim with a 520-mile route. It featured major stops in cities like San Jose, Fresno, and Palmdale, at speeds up to 220 mph.
The project was estimated, in 2008, to cost $33 billion with an 2020 completion date.
The current plan focuses on an initial 171-mile segment between Merced and Bakersfield in the Central Valley, with future extensions planned to San Francisco and Los Angeles.
A new report by the California inspector general stated the first segment is likely to be more than three years behind the updated 2033 completion date. It also faces a $6.5 billion funding gap.
Estimates for the statewide project are as high as $135 billion.
The project has faced delays due to funding shortages, rising costs, and challenges with land acquisition and environmental reviews.
When asked if the Department of Government Efficient (DOGE) will be investigating, Trump responded, ‘No, I’m doing that myself.’
‘Every dollar of the project is accounted for’
In a statement, the California High-Speed Rail Authority responded to the president’s claims.
“Of approximately $13 billion spent on the project, $10.5 billion have been funded exclusively by the State of California (not hundreds of billions) and those expenditures have created over $22 billion in economic impact,” the statement reads in part.
It goes on to say that every dollar of the project is accounted for and has been thoroughly reviewed by the independent Office of the Inspector General [whose] sole focus is improving oversight and accountability of the California high-speed rail project.
For more information about the High Speed Rail project visit BuildHSR.com
