Despite a $7 billion funding shortfall and hundreds of miles left to build, California is urging the Trump administration to keep federal dollars flowing into its high-speed rail project.
On Thursday, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) sent a letter to the Department of Transportation (DOT), pushing back against the administration’s threat to pull $4 billion in federal funds. CHSRA called the move “unwarranted and unjustified,” defending a project that has long faced scrutiny—even from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The state believes it can finish an “early operating segment” by 2033 if funding continues. The initial 119-mile segment still needs 23 miles of guideway, and another 463 miles are labeled “construction ready.” Originally slated for completion by 2020 with a $33 billion budget, the full project now exceeds $100 billion, with repeated delays.
Critics, including the Trump DOT, have slammed the project as a “boondoggle” plagued by mismanagement and inflated costs. A 2018 audit blamed flawed decision-making and poor contracts for billions in overruns and delays.
“Let’s level about the high-speed rail,” Gov. Newsom said back in 2019. “Right now, there simply isn’t a path to get from Sacramento to San Diego, let alone from San Francisco to L.A.”
Still, the governor has pressed forward. The CHSRA’s letter acknowledges the $7 billion gap but says it has “several options” to close it, including Newsom’s plan to contribute $1 billion annually for 20 years toward the first phase.
The authority also highlighted completed progress: 53 structures and 69 miles of guideway built for the first 119-mile segment. It’s requesting a 15-day extension on the federal deadline to respond, arguing that delays alone shouldn’t justify cutting funds.
