Republican lawmakers, including U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, criticized California’s troubled high-speed rail project on Thursday, denouncing it as a “waste of taxpayers’ money” and pointing to its ballooning costs and endless delays.
Despite an initial $33 billion budget and a completion goal of 2020, the project’s latest estimate has skyrocketed to $106 billion—more than triple its original cost.
Now, the federal government will conduct a compliance review to determine how federal assistance has been used in the state’s long-delayed rail effort.
Speaking at Los Angeles’ Union Station, Duffy—appointed by President Donald Trump—condemned Governor Gavin Newsom’s mismanagement of the project, warning that future federal funding is under review.
“It was going to be done by 2020, and it was going to cost $33 billion… and people were excited,” Duffy said. “Where are we today? Well, today, we are severely—no pun intended—off track.”
His comments come after Trump recently blasted the project, calling it “the worst managed project” he has ever seen and vowing to investigate.
“The federal government has invested $2.7 billion in this project and California has invested the rest. Joe Biden has promised another $4 billion. The problem is, California is still short $6.5 billion. California doesn’t have the money to complete the project, even with the federal promises that were made by the last administration,” Duffy added.
He went on to criticize Newsom’s lack of leadership on the project, later deferring questions from reporters to the governor.
“What should you do with this project? Why is it costing so much money? What’s going on? Those are questions that should be asked by the media. The public should know there is no timeframe to get a high-speed rail from LA to San Francisco. You should know that. And that’s the decision you all have to make as a state,” Duffy said.
Despite the criticism, California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri defended the project, stating:
“We welcome this investigation and the opportunity to work with our federal partners. California’s high-speed rail is 171 miles under active construction, with over 50 major structures completed, 14,700 jobs created, and more than 880 small businesses engaged.”
The project dates back to 2008 when California voters approved a bond measure to fund a high-speed rail system between Los Angeles and San Francisco.
However, construction remained years behind schedule due to legal battles, financial hurdles, and logistical setbacks. By 2011, Central Valley farmers filed lawsuits challenging the project’s feasibility, arguing that it could not meet the promises made to voters regarding travel times and costs.
Initially estimated at $40 billion, the project faced repeated delays. By 2019, the Trump administration revoked nearly $1 billion in federal funding, only for the Biden administration to restore the funds in 2021.
With the project still years from completion, Secretary Duffy confirmed that the Department of Transportation will launch a full investigation into how funds have been allocated and whether federal support should continue.
As costs spiral out of control, California’s high-speed rail remains a glaring example of government mismanagement—leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for a project that may never be completed as promised.
