President Donald Trump and his officials Wednesday made good on their threat: the Federal Railroad Administration terminated $4 billion in federal funding for the high-speed rail project that was designed to connect the “mega-regions” of the state, primarily linking San Francisco to the Los Angeles basin.
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy made the announcement Wednesday, shortly after President Trump said on social media that his administration is pulling the plug on the project, calling it “high speed train to nowhere.”
“The railroad we were promised still does not exist, and never will,” Trump said on Truth Social. “This project was severely overpriced, overregulated and never delivered.”
Duffy echoed Trump’s message, pointing out the cost and the prolonged process, saying the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has spent $15 billion over a 16-year period.
“After over a decade of failures, CHSRA’s mismanagement and incompetence has proven it cannot build its train to nowhere on time or on budget,” Duffy said in a statement. “It’s time for this boondoggle to die.”
The announcement came more than a month after Secretary Duffy claimed the project has “no viable path” to be done on time or within budget.
The rail authority’s inspector general had also confirmed that the project was “unlikely” to meet the deadline of 2033 due to funding gaps and construction delays, among other reasons.
Ian Choudri, who was appointed CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority last year, also hinted that the project may seek private funding if California agrees to pay back the investigators, according to the Associated Press.
In response to the announcement, Governor Gavin Newsom said the termination of federal funding is “Trump’s latest gift to China.”
“Trump wants to hand China the future and abandon the Central Valley. We won’t let him,” Newsom said in a statement. “With projects like the Texas high-speed rail failing to take off, we are miles ahead of others.”
Newsom said the project is moving along despite criticism as it’s approaching the “track-laying phase” with 15,500 jobs created,
Source: NBC Los Angeles
Be First to Comment